Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Political/War Lounge > The Cabinet of Deplorables: Year Two thru 4

The Cabinet of Deplorables: Year Two thru 4 (Page 2)
Thread Tools
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 22, 2018, 10:34 PM
 
I feel like the original list was Matty, Pufunstuf, Tillersaurus, and Sweet Tea (begrudgingly), but Kelly and Munchkin got upgraded.

What’s the over/under on me coming up with a nickname for Kelly before he quits?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 01:06 AM
 
Who the **** is sweet tea?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 02:12 AM
 
You know... Sweet Tea.

Shitstain.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 09:32 AM
 
You have some strange views on adults.

Kelly and Mattie were pushing to replace McMaster so there goes the adult theory.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 09:34 AM
 
Kelly lost his adult cred after the 'empty barrels' rant.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 10:59 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I suspect we're going to war and I wonder if it isn't partly a calculation by Trump that its good for the GOP ballot.
Iran? North Korea? Qatar? Some wildcard "rogue" nation that isn't on anyone's radar?
For extra credit: Will a nuke be thrown?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 11:08 AM
 
Judging from his cabinet and rhetoric, Iran, seems like the easy choice. He's had a hard on for them from day one.

NK would be odd based on Trump supposedly meeting with them.

Qatar is a choice that would require more intensive knowledge then I have.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 07:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
You have some strange views on adults.

Kelly and Mattie were pushing to replace McMaster so there goes the adult theory.
I got the impression Tillersaurus was bothering them too, but neither necessarily destroys the adult theory.

As for Sweet Tea, at the least, wouldn’t you say he doesn’t fit the profile of anyone else in his cabinet?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 07:08 PM
 
Shamrock.

That’s Kelly’s nickname. Everyone pay up.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 23, 2018, 10:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I got the impression Tillersaurus was bothering them too, but neither necessarily destroys the adult theory.
When your lack of foresight scores you John Bolton, you are not an adult.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
As for Sweet Tea, at the least, wouldn’t you say he doesn’t fit the profile of anyone else in his cabinet?
Sure he does. Just like Devos, Pruitt, Kelly, and Mnuchin, he's willing to endure embarrassment to further his personal agenda.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 12:26 AM
 
What’s Shamrock’s personal agenda?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 01:27 AM
 
Wait, I misread.

The claim is Shamrock’s crime is pushing Trump’s personal agenda.

Why is he constantly reported as on the chopping block, then?

Same question with Sweet Tea.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 12:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
What’s Shamrock’s personal agenda?
Immigration. Remember, he started at DHS and has been reported as thwarting multiple immigration deals.


Originally Posted by subego View Post
Why is he constantly reported as on the chopping block, then?

Same question with Sweet Tea.
The recusal.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 01:50 PM
 
That’s a good point about Sweet Tea, but I was mainly asking about Shamrock.

You don’t get the impression the reason he’s on the chopping block is because he gets in Trump’s face?

Chalk Dust and Hazmat do this?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 02:10 PM
 
Someone bring up Carson so I can call him House M.D.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 02:24 PM
 
I imagine Kelly's problem is his position is tasked with corralling Trump. Which means its less about him and more about Trump chaffing against being controlled. Though him also pushing his immigration agenda while doing so may not be helping.

How did we get on this? This have something to do with Kelly supposedly being an adult in your view?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 03:46 PM
 
Yup. We’re deciding if he gets to sit at the adult table.

Whatever his faults, I put him in the group who think Trump is a moron, and are doing damage control.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 03:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
When your lack of foresight scores you John Bolton, you are not an adult.
Hard to say. Could have been a calculated risk.

Or, maybe they get along with him.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 03:54 PM
 
by your criteria every CoS is autimatically considered adult because of the job description.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 03:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Hard to say. Could have been a calculated risk.

Or, maybe they get along with him.
Reports are they are not enthused with his hire. Removing one of the adults because you disagree with their politics is a red flag. Removing them because you want more aggressive foreign policy is disqualifying.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 04:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
by your criteria every CoS is autimatically considered adult because of the job description.
I don’t feel like Bannon did damage control.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 04:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Reports are they are not enthused with his hire. Removing one of the adults because you disagree with their politics is a red flag. Removing them because you want more aggressive foreign policy is disqualifying.
If it’s that simple, Pufnstuf was too dovish, I agree that’s disqualifying.

I think it’s possible it’s more complicated, but I could be wrong (and I’m saying that honestly).
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 05:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I don’t feel like Bannon did damage control.
Bannon wasnt CoS. He's also a believer in the chaos.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 24, 2018, 05:47 PM
 
Can you lie about employing a wife beater with no security clearance as your deputy and still be considered an adult in the room?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 25, 2018, 12:13 AM
 
I thought Bannon and Priebus were co-CoS.

As for the wife-beating, it honestly depends why he was given cover.

If it was because he’s brilliant, I hesitate to revoke adult standing because of it. Morals are often in conflict with Getting Shit Done.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 25, 2018, 03:55 PM
 
The question I’m implying is why did Kelly give Porter cover, and does the why impact his adult standing.

To me, it has obvious impact.

I’m going to judge Kelly one way if the reason was “light domestic violence” is in keeping with his views on gender roles, versus the reason being the ends justify the means.

Or when Porter insists his ex is batshit, Kelly’s friendship with him plays a role in whose side he takes. Or that Hicks is vouching for him. Or all of those things.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 30, 2018, 05:18 PM
 
EPA chief Pruitt gets sweetheart apartment deal from lobbyist.
The building is at least partially owned by a health care lobbyist, Vicki Hart, via a limited liability corporation. Her husband J. Steven Hart, is also a lobbyist, whose firm represents clients in industries regulated by the EPA.
E.P.A. Prepares to Roll Back Rules Requiring Cars to Be Cleaner and More Efficient
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 30, 2018, 05:32 PM
 
He practically needs his own thread. He's the by far the most dangerous/competent of Trump's cabinet and kills me that he's been immune to any controversy.

EXCLUSIVE: Pruitt's EPA security broke down door to lobbyist condo

Its increasingly apparent the guy thinks he's going to get assassinated. Sure that might reflect crazy, but I think it might also reflects a guilty conscience – that if people knew what he was up to they might go that far. Certainly what little we wring out of him and the EPA ia pretty alarming.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 30, 2018, 05:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
The question I’m implying is why did Kelly give Porter cover, and does the why impact his adult standing.

To me, it has obvious impact.

I’m going to judge Kelly one way if the reason was “light domestic violence” is in keeping with his views on gender roles, versus the reason being the ends justify the means.

Or when Porter insists his ex is batshit, Kelly’s friendship with him plays a role in whose side he takes. Or that Hicks is vouching for him. Or all of those things.
So, let's do a mild reset here, because I constantly lose the thread of these.

I'm arguing Kelly is not one of the adults/moderating forces.
My points:

• Foists his agenda per immigration on Trump/Country which is far right.
• Refused to admit he was full of shit when he slandered Frederica Wilson's speech.
• Helped oust McMaster for being dovish without regard that the next option might be worse. (Spoiler: It was) Again, this seems to be him putting personal politics above everything.
• Employed a wife-beater for chief of staff. You countered he might be 'ends justify the mean'. But he pointedly complained about women not being respected anymore in his Frederica Wilson rant.
• Lied about when he knew about Porter's background check failure, if he was fired/resigned, and when he was fired/resigned. Then he lied about his lying. This mirrors his god damn boss, who is decidedly not an adult.

What is your condensed argument?
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 31, 2018, 04:09 AM
 
From that list, the only thing I’d count is Shamrock not apologizing to Red Hat, which on its own isn’t nearly enough to revoke adulthood.

If hanging out too much in the dove shack was Pufnstuf’s only offense, then it counts, but I find that a suspiciously one-sided explanation. Also, Walrus wasn’t the only candidate in the running. My guess is Shamrock and Matty were hoping Trump picked Party Hardy.

Getting preferential treatment for one’s agenda is the whole point of being Chief of Staff, no?

This leaves Shiner. You probably heard they’re talking about bringing him back. I’m telling you, this guy is ****in Midas. I don’t like that this administration is so desperate for talent they have to kick decency down a flight of stairs to function, but I don’t see the alternative, which is to let everything fall to shit, as a vastly superior option.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 4, 2018, 06:46 PM
 
I can no longer continue this conversation because this nickname shit was never funny to begin with.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 4, 2018, 06:54 PM
 
Pruitt Hat Trick:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/03/polit...ons/index.html
The event was subsequently moved to EPA headquarters, but with limited press access. A CNN journalist in the building was not allowed into the room for the event.

EPA had attempted to allow television camera access to Fox News without informing the other four networks: CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. Fox alerted the networks and a pool was established allowing networks equal access to the event.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics...tt-epa/557123/
According to a source with direct knowledge of the meeting, held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, staffers from the Presidential Personnel Office dismissed Pruitt’s application. The White House, the source said, declined to approve the raises.

After the White House rejected their request, Pruitt’s team studied the particulars of the Safe Drinking Water provision, according to the source with direct knowledge of these events. By reappointing Greenwalt and Hupp under this authority, they learned, Pruitt could exercise total control over their contracts and grant the raises on his own.

Pruitt ordered it done. Though Hupp and Greenwalt’s duties did not change, the agency began processing them for raises of $28,130 and $56,765, respectively, compared with their 2017 salaries. Less than two weeks after Pruitt had approached the White House, according to time-stamped Human Resources documents shared with The Atlantic, the paperwork was finished.

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/pruitt-d...-staff-did-it/
“If you’re committed to the Trump agenda, why did you go around the president and the White House to give pay raises to two staffers?” Henry asked, and was about to follow up with more when Pruitt stopped him.

“I did not,” he said. “My staff did. I found out about that yesterday and I changed it.”

“I issued a statement yesterday walking back those pay raises that should not have been done,” he continued.

“Is someone going to be fired for that?” Henry quickly followed up.

“There will be some accountability,” Pruitt replied.

“A career person or a political person?” Henry said, to which Pruitt responded, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Henry repeated incredulously. “You run the agency. You don’t know who did this?”


“I found out about this yesterday and I corrected the action,” Pruitt repeated.
Whatever powers are keeping him in charge might not be up to this task.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 4, 2018, 07:01 PM
 
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/zin...erican-workers
A full third of the senior Interior Department (DOI) career officials reassigned under Secretary Ryan Zinke in a major agency reshuffling are Native American, even though Native Americans make up less than 10 percent of the Department’s workforce, a review by TPM has found.

The finding comes days after Democratic lawmakers demanded an investigation into whether Zinke discriminated when he reassigned 33 career officials last summer, and follows on reports that Zinke has repeatedly told DOI officials he doesn’t care about diversity — which prompted one member of Congress to accuse Zinke of working to create a “lily-white department.”

Several others on the list are Black and Latino, online records show.

Singling workers out for political reasons or because of their race would violate federal law. Additionally, DOI’s Indian Preference rules state that the agency must give “absolute preference in employment to American Indians and Alaska Natives” in several of its offices. Those rules specifically apply to reassignments as well as hiring decisions.
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 4, 2018, 11:25 PM
 
How come nobody works tirelessly to deliver fat raises to me? Is this a service only available to shady types? Sounds discriminatory.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 5, 2018, 06:41 AM
 
Make America Graft Again.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 6, 2018, 07:28 PM
 
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 7, 2018, 04:16 PM
 
The swamp:

Mulvaney, as Trump’s budget director, has long railed against government spending. One of his first directives as acting CFPB director was to announce he needed zero dollars in funding to run the agency, pledging to spend down the bureau’s surplus fund this quarter before requiring more money from the Fed — the CFPB is funded by the Fed and not through the traditional congressional budget process.

In his Jan. 17 letter to the Fed, Mulvaney said he was asking for zero dollars because of the need to be “responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.” But that tight-fisted approach apparently was not used with his staff’s salaries. Further, it appears that at least two people that Mulvaney hired for his office are for positions that did not exist under the previous administration, at an additional taxpayer cost of $259,500 per employee.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 8, 2018, 08:09 PM
 
So it turns out Pruitt is as terrible a human outside of politics as within. Which is why, I think, Trump is backing him for now. I think he sees a kindred spirit.

Anyway, here's an avalanche of news

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/981879618583048192
.@EPAScottPruitt is likely the bravest and most conservative member of Trump's cabinet. We need him to help @realDonaldTrump drain the regulatory swamp.
Timely reminder that Rand Paul has no principles. Ted Cruz also 'rah-rah'd for the guy, which tells you everything you knew already.

I think the most telling aspect of the saga right now is no conservatives are defending what Pruitt has done. They're entire argument is that they like his politics/policies and/or he's effective. That's it. (Bizarre subplot: liberal analysis purporting Pruitt hasn't been effective. I have no idea what the point of this is)


Scott Pruitt asked to use sirens in D.C. traffic and was told no for non-emergency
Several weeks after taking the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency, Administrator Scott Pruitt was running late and stuck in Washington, D.C., traffic. Sources tell CBS News that he wanted to use his vehicle's lights and sirens to get to his official appointment, but the lead agent in charge of his security detail advised him that sirens were to be used only in emergencies.

Less than two weeks later that agent was removed from Pruitt's detail, reassigned to a new job within the EPA.
Is this not Trumpian?

E.P.A. Officials Sidelined After Questioning Scott Pruitt
At least five officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, four of them high-ranking, were reassigned or demoted, or requested new jobs in the past year after they raised concerns about the spending and management of the agency’s administrator, Scott Pruitt.
The political appointee, Kevin Chmielewski, was placed on administrative leave without pay, according to two of the people with knowledge of the situation. Mr. Chmielewski was among the first employees of Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, serving as a senior advance official. The two people, who are administration officials, said that Mr. Chmielewski flagged some of his concerns about Mr. Pruitt directly to the White House’s presidential personnel office.

Two of the career officials, Reginald E. Allen and Eric Weese, were moved to jobs where they had less say in spending decisions and less interaction with Mr. Pruitt, the people said. A third career official, John E. Reeder, joined American University as a temporary “executive in residence” after being told by the E.P.A. to find a new job. And John C. Martin, who served on the security detail, was also removed from the team and had his gun and badge taken away after raising concerns about how Mr. Pruitt’s security was being handled.

A sixth official, Mr. Pruitt’s chief of staff, Ryan Jackson, also raised questions about Mr. Pruitt’s spending, according to three E.P.A. officials. He remains in his job but is considering resigning, agency officials said. Mr. Jackson came to the agency from the office of Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, who like Mr. Pruitt had been a major critic of regulatory moves made under President Barack Obama, and is a prominent climate change skeptic.

Approval was required by the staff officials for certain of Mr. Pruitt’s expenditures, and Mr. Allen, Mr. Chmielewski, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Reeder at various points each voiced concerns to Mr. Pruitt directly about his spending, according to the two administration officials.
That is a lot of bodies to be leaving in your wake, including a Trump appointee.


For instance, in a conversation with one of Mr. Pruitt’s closest aides, Mr. Chmielewski sharply objected to a proposal to buy a $100,000-a-month charter aircraft membership that would have allowed Mr. Pruitt to take unlimited private jet trips for official business, according to two administration officials. The membership was not purchased.
He wanted... a private jet.

Mr. Chmielewski also objected to a proposal to spend about $70,000 to replace two desks in Mr. Pruitt’s office suite, including his personal desk and one at a security station outside his office. Asked about the proposed desk purchases, Mr. Wilcox, the E.P.A. spokesman, said that “the administrator never considered the proposal.” Pasquale Perrotta, who became head of Mr. Pruitt’s security detail after Mr. Weese was removed, insisted that the security desk be upgraded to a bulletproof model, according to current and former E.P.A. employees with direct knowledge of the discussions.
Once again, this guy thinks he's going to be attacked by John Wick or something.

Mr. Wilcox, the agency spokesman, said the larger security team was justified, given threats against Mr. Pruitt. “They run the variety of direct death threats — ‘I’m going to put a bullet in your brain’ — to implied threats — ‘If you don’t classify this particular chemical in this particular way, I’m going to hurt you.’”
About that...
https://twitter.com/JasonLeopold/sta...82387900710913
I had filed a #FOIA with EPA for any records of death threats made against Scott Pruitt.

EPA said it had zero recorss.
The EPA officially has ZERO death threats against Pruitt recorded.



Moving onto the condo where Pruitt got a pretty sweet deal, it looks like the lobbyist couple who did him the favor got more than they bargained for.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ol-hill-505658
Prior to Pruitt’s arrival in Washington, Steve Hart — an energy lobbyist who, like Pruitt, is a native Oklahoman — had been a friend and supporter of the EPA administrator. He and his wife, a health care lobbyist, viewed the six-week living arrangement as a favor for a friend.

They drew up a lease running from February through April 1, 2017, said the people familiar with it, in order to make sure neither they nor Pruitt ran afoul of ethics rules, which prohibit political appointees from accepting gifts from lobbyists. Under the terms of that lease, Pruitt paid a cut rate of $50 per night to stay in the condominium.

That favor turned into a headache for the couple when Pruitt repeatedly asked to extend his lease. “There were gentle questions regarding, OK, when are you going to leave and what have you ... and they even started sending him ads of places close by that he could rent,” said the first person.

“Scott Pruitt is the Kato Kaelin of Capitol Hill. He is the long-term house guest who takes advantage of his hosts and refuses to take a hint about when it’s time to leave,” the second person said.

The Harts eventually told Pruitt, who had to be reminded repeatedly to pay his rent, that they had plans to rent the room to somebody else — and that he needed to find another place to live, according to the people familiar with events. They also informed him in early August that they were changing the locks on their door.
tl;dr:
Pruitt gets sweetheart deal because its a six-week lease
Gets comfy so asks to extend it
Couple gets frustrated with his overstay so they send him ads of other places to live
They also have to remind him to pay his rent
They finally threaten to change the locks on him and kick him out

This guy is a ****ing piece of work.


Okay, now for some palace intrigue.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...r-resigns.html
The Rob Porter scandal took yet another turn Thursday, as it was reported that the accused wife-beater was a source of damaging information about embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt.

Porter previously dated Samantha Dravis, a close top aide to Pruitt who has followed him to three jobs. Dravis has resigned her policy position at EPA, it was revealed Thursday, as her boss weathers a series of ethical scandals.
So the source of this effort to shit on Pruitt is... the WH ex-Deputy Chief of Staff? Who may be doing it as revenge against an ex-girlfriend who reported his domestic abuse to the FBI. Or (here's my conjecture) it could also be at the behest of his ex-boss who advised Trump to dump Pruitt last week and warned Pruitt himself he's on thin ice.

This entire scandal is Trump incarnate.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 8, 2018, 09:12 PM
 
Makes you wonder what sort of hellscape it must be working in Trump’s private corp., where everything is hidden from prying eyes.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 8, 2018, 11:05 PM
 
Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot one other damning item
https://www.apnews.com/e2fdc3fe88be4...ity-and-travel
On weekend trips home for Sooners football games, when taxpayers weren’t paying for his ticket, the EPA official said Pruitt flew coach.
But what about the death threats?!
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 9, 2018, 06:47 PM
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics...raises/557561/
In the last few days, top staffers became aware of an email exchange between one of two aides who received such a raise and the agency’s human resources division. In mid-March, Sarah Greenwalt, senior counsel to the administrator, wrote to HR in an attempt to confirm that her pay raise of $56,765 was being processed. Greenwalt “definitively stated that Pruitt approves and was supportive of her getting a raise,” according to an administration official who has seen the email chain.
After the interview, top aides, including Jackson, began corralling files that appeared to contradict Pruitt’s statements. The two administration officials described it as a way of “getting ahead” of the IG’s investigation. Greenwalt’s email, however, has proved the most troubling, according to both administration officials. “It’s an ‘oh, shit’ moment that they’re trying to figure out before the IG finds the email,” said one. “Because it’ll be damn near impossible to have Sarah explain her way out of it.”
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 10, 2018, 08:00 PM
 
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...threats-984459
EPA removed a career staffer Tuesday who approved an internal report that undermined Administrator Scott Pruitt's claims that he needed around-the-clock bodyguards and other expensive security protection, according to two former agency employees familiar with the situation.

Mario Caraballo was the deputy associate administrator of EPA's Office of Homeland Security, which in February concluded that an earlier assessment failed to identify credible direct threats against the administrator that would justify his heavy security spending.
I mean, why wouldn't they at this point?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 10, 2018, 11:43 PM
 
https://twitter.com/nytpolitics/stat...74047002980352
The EPA has been examining social media posts to help justify Scott Pruitt's first-class travel and round-the-clock security protection, even on a personal trip to Disneyland
Would anyone have survived anything close to this in another administration?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 21, 2018, 04:39 PM
 
There's a lot of other Pruitt stories I've been too tired to post, but as I was just reading this...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/epa-c...ry?id=54619601
Earlier this month, the EPA released the six-page schedule from Pruitt's 47-hour North Africa trip with four pages blacked out

The newly released version of the calendar showed the four previously blacked-out pages of his calendar did not include any additional meetings beyond those already released.
I think they were trying to make it look like he had 4 pages of 'classified' meetings with the earlier redaction. Busted.


"For a trip … that included at least 10 EPA staff, your official business consisted of one full working day, and two days each with one, one-hour meeting," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a top Democratic on the committee with oversight of EPA, wrote in recent letter to Pruitt.
What does Morocco have to do with protecting the US environment? Its very simple:
In a letter to the EPA inspector general, Carper wrote that he was especially concerned that the EPA listed promoting U.S. exports of natural gas as one of the topics on the trip. Carper wrote in the letter that natural gas is not part of the agency's mission "to protect human health and the environment."
Isn't that Rick Perry's job?
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 21, 2018, 09:24 PM
 
Morocco = tourist destination in my mind.
... an EPA spokesman told ABC News that two career EPA officials traveled with Pruitt on the trip, not only political staff ...
So 2 real EPA staff, 8 political appointees, and an unexpected layover in Paris. Unexpected to anyone who didn't check weather forecasts. Sounds like a pleasant trip.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 24, 2018, 09:02 PM
 


������
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 24, 2018, 10:28 PM
 
wow.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 25, 2018, 03:47 PM
 
At least he’s honest about the graft.
     
Thorzdad
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Nobletucky
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 25, 2018, 03:55 PM
 
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 26, 2018, 01:01 AM
 
Pruitt is testifying in front of congress tomorrow and someone leaked his defense – he's going to blame everyone else.

I hope to god someone traps him with some receipts.
     
 
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:06 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,