Trump’s sycophantic CIA director, Mike Pompeo, will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee shortly to make the case for his own confirmation as US Secretary of State. Trump wished his flunky well in his bid to succeed the ousted Tillerson, confident that Pompeo would never call him (Trump) “a fucking moron.”
Good luck to Mike Pompeo during his Confirmation Hearing today. He will be a great Secretary of State!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2018
Odd that Trump appended the good luck wishes to a whiny, self-congratulatory, incoherent walk-back of his recent tough-guy babblings in Putin’s general direction. Or fitting, actually. Every single Democrat should vote “nay” on the elevation of the extremist Pompeo when the “America’s Next Top Diplomat” show gets underway.
People who’ve met Pompeo claim he comes across as an intelligent and charming dude. Be that as it may, he’s a kook — an Islamophobe and an anti-gay, anti-choice, climate change denier.
Without scraping the bottom of the wingnut media barrel or snatching random Fox News rage-grandpas out of their duct-taped recliners and parking them at Foggy Bottom, it would be hard to come up with someone more ill-suited to represent the US abroad than Mike Pompeo, given the turmoil in the Middle East, the reemergence of reactionary fascism worldwide and the worsening climate crisis.
Approving this nomination would thrust the dangerous troika of Trump, Bolton and Pompeo upon an already inflamed planet. Democrats should do everything humanly possible to gum up the works. It’s not a hopeless battle either; there’s word that the ailing McCain is a “NO” vote, and Rand Paul (member of the SFRC) has said he won’t support the nomination either.
Of course, relying on Weather-Vane McCain and the Labradoodle of Kentucky as allies is a mug’s game. But we’ve got to try. This person is dangerous, and we already have too goddamn many nut-jobs and incompetents with their filthy mitts on the levers of war.
schrodingers_cat
What do you have against labradoodles? They are cute unlike the senator with a mop on his head.
rikyrah
Cincinnati Bengals reportedly asked Eric Reid for a commitment that he wouldn’t kneel during national anthem; he refused and left without a contract offer: https://t.co/xfjJDhSSOP pic.twitter.com/0uRed59rj9
— The Root (@TheRoot) April 11, 2018
rikyrah
NO Democrat has any business voting for him.
PERIOD.
jayjaybear
This really should be dead in the water, given his ownership of a Chinese-government-linked oil and gas business that he FAILED TO DISCLOSE. He needs Dems to approve him to get through, since Rand Paul opposes and McCain is absent for cancer treatment. Let’s hope he gets denied those Dem votes (and the committee Dems think long and hard how their votes are going to look in November).
Elizabelle
@rikyrah: Agreed!
No Pompe. No Gina Haspel. Who cares how charming they might be when they need to be? They have a record, and it’s awful.
Mary G
This is inspired prose, BC.
Spanky
I’m so old I remember back to the beginning of 2017 and the announcement of the first cabinet picks, and the reminder that “This is the best it gets. Every nominee hereafter will be worse.” And here we are.
Betty Cracker
@jayjaybear: That’s an excellent point, and if Blue Dogs like Heidi Heitkamp are afraid to oppose the nomination on the grounds I mentioned, pointing out that Pompeo is a corrupt grifter like every other Trump cabinet member would be both truthful and politically expedient.
oldster
“…Weather-Vane McCain and the Labradoodle of Kentucky…”
That’s it. I am giving you a raise and a promotion, today. You are doing excellent work, and it deserves recognition.
The Other Chuck
Next administration needs to fire every last person Trump hired, down to the fucking guy who buys the snacks. Being part of a criminal organization sounds like proper cause.
MattF
In fact, there’s only one person who represents the US abroad, and that’s DJT. And the authoritarians abroad have figured him out– just call him a genius and it’s OK to do whatever you want.
Spanky
The WaPo, NOT The Onion:
Cheryl from Maryland
Like so many Trumpian nominees, Pompeo left off foreign connections in his confirmation questionnaire — the one he filled out to become head of the CIA.
MattF
Somewhat OT. It looks like next week will be Comey week– his book tour will raise all the usual questions about bad faith. Greg Sargent summarizes in the WaPo.
Roger Moore
@jayjaybear:
If we had sane politics, that would be enough to lose him his current job. Seriously, the CIA director really should not be allowed to have a bunch of money tied up with one of the countries it’s most important for us to spy on, and his failure to disclose shows he knows it would likely have been disqualifying had the Senate known about it. That ought to be enough to get him thrown out and prosecuted for lying to Congress.
oatler.
What’s the worth of testimony before a collapsing government?
SiubhanDuinne
Dangerous troika. An “axis of evil” for our time.
***
As it’s an open thread: I’m looking forward to lunch today — a “meet-and-greet” for a very attractive Dem candidate to challenge Rob Woodall (R-Utterly Useless) in GA’s 7th district (northern Atlanta suburbs). The 7th has been a safe GOP seat since 1994, the year of the “Gingrich Revolution,” but this time around we have a solid and diverse field of six candidates. There are three men and three women; three white and three non-white; a self-made millionaire and several dedicated community volunteers; an immigrant from Vietnam, and the child of immigrants from Korea. Heck, the only white man on our bench is a lawyer named Steve! Hmmmmm.
On paper, they all look good, and I’m hoping to meet as many as possible between now and the May 22 primary. Today it’s a casual restaurant meetup with a very sharp woman named Carolyn Bourdeaux. So far she appeals to me the most, but I’m trying to keep an open mind through the primary. Hope these good people can campaign and debate without chewing each other up.
jl
” duct-taped recliners ”
Hey! A little too close to home for some of us commenters.
Roger Moore
@The Other Chuck:
Especially the guy who went out for coffee. Those coffee boys are up to their eyeballs in illegal foreign contacts.
MattF
@Spanky: Given that the Korean league has a (Korean) player who is over 7 feet tall, one has a suspicion that the underlying motive is racial.
Betty Cracker
@MattF: Sargent is 100% correct when he calls the GOP’s Comey spin bad-faith nonsense. But seeing through it requires the ability to grasp nuance.
trollhattan
@oldster:
Double her salary, STAT!
trollhattan
@jl:
Once the handle breaks off it’s technically no longer a recliner.
Yarrow
Pompeo is a traitor. Perhaps a well-timed leak about some of his traitorous activities could derail his nomination.
Betty Cracker
@jl: Me too, to be honest, only it’s my office chair that is more duct-tape than Naugahyde…
trollhattan
This discussion should be bottled for reuse in case somehow Pruitt survives long enough to be nominated as the Sessions replacement.
Villago Delenda Est
Pompeo, being a Christianist wingnut, has no business serving in government, period.
japa21
So Trump thinks America should be thanked because ISIS is almost wiped out. Doesn’t mention that most of the real work was done by the Kurds, with US doing support work. Nor does he mention that we are deserting the Kurds. So where is the “Thank you Kurds”?
tobie
Thanks, BC, for the reminder about this. Called Sen Cardin’s office and the receptionist was quite upfront that they are keeping a tally of yes and no calls on this appointment. I’ll ring Sen Van Hollen’s office, too, though I’m more confident he will vote no.
germy
The unpleasantness will soon be over. Bannon has a plan
trollhattan
@japa21:
To my knowledge ISIS never thanked the US for creating the their birthplace either, bastards.
rikyrah
Bannon to Trump: DO NOT COOPERATE (also fire Rosenstein): WaPo
Robert Costa, national political reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about his new reporting that Steve Bannon is encouraging Donald Trump to fire Rod Rosenstein, stop cooperating with Robert Mueller, and fire his lawyer Ty Cobb as well.
Apr.11.2018
rikyrah
Exclusive: Preservation notice shows breadth of Mueller probe
Rachel Maddow shares the contents of an exclusively obtained, previously unseen letter to Department of Justice officials directing them to preserve “Documents and Responsive Materials” related to Donald Trump’s firing of James Comey.
trollhattan
@germy:
He’s busier than ever since being “retired” from the administration. Wasn’t he just in Europe overseeing the Nazi rebirth?
Spanky
@trollhattan: As long as you can still use the Vice Grips on it you’re good.
Amir Khalid
@MattF:
I’m also suspicious of the claim that taller basketball players can’t move and lack playing skills.
rikyrah
It was deliberate. Stop giving this muthaphucka the benefit of the doubt.
Trump shoots self in foot with Twitter missile taunt at Russia
Courtney Kube, national security and military reporter for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump warning Russia that he’s launching missiles at Syria even though the US has not actually decided what kind of action to take Bashar al-Assad.
MattF
@rikyrah: Also, invoke executive privilege, retroactively. Good luck with that.
germy
@trollhattan: Yes, he’s been everywhere. Busier than a two-peckered goat.
Not content with destroying America, he’s decided world destruction would be more fun.
JCJ
@Betty Cracker:
You skinned a poor, innocent Nauga?!?! To make a chair?!?! You are a horrible person!
Amir Khalid
@rikyrah:
My conspiracy theory on that is that Bannon is goading Trump into further open obstruction of justice, so that Bobby Three Sticks can really nail Trump’s behind to the wall. This would avenge Trump’s firing of him.
gene108
@Roger Moore:
And to prevent them from spying on us. China is one of the top espionage threats out there.
debit
@germy: It was interesting to watch Bob Bennett last night on the 11th Hour. He basically said: what is the end goal? If it’s to stay in office and win reelection, then come to grips with the worst that could happen. If that’s impeachment, consider that while it might clear the House, the Senate would be the final line of defense. The GOP will (probably) hold the line, but only if he doesn’t make it impossible for them to do so. Tweeting and attacking Mueller, the FBI and the DOJ makes it harder for them.
Bennett also declined to say if he’d been approached by Trump, which tells me he was and turned Trump down. Sucks for Trump, because that’s the kind of soothing he needs the most.
Mandalay
Nobody could have predicted that arming idiotic Parkland teachers might be an idiotic idea….
Although TBF, The Broward School Board told Rick Scott to shove the money for arming teachers at Parkland up his ass yesterday:
Good for them.
Betty Cracker
@germy: If we ever get the whole story, I believe we’ll find that undermining liberal democracies worldwide was always at the top of the Bannon-Mercer agenda, and that riling up Nazis and fellow travelers on a global scale was a core technique. We already have proof of some of their partnerships with autocrats and nationalist cranks abroad, of course.
germy
@debit:
The end goal was to lose the election, build Trump TV into a major network, poach a bunch of Fox News personalities like Hannity and O’Reilly, and spend four to eight years heckling President Hillary.
The money would have been rolling in, with none of these pesky investigations.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
He uses transparently coward talk like this with someone like Putin? Trump, you are truly a useless douch. I am going to speculate that it’s going to come out the Russians never did tell Trump specific things, just hinted and Trump like the coward he is rushed to do it.
germy
@Betty Cracker:
They are global anti-globalists.
MattF
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: So, the reason that Trump sounds confused is that Putin hasn’t yet given Trump his orders. That actually makes sense.
ETA: Of course, Trump sounding confused is normal operating procedure.
Betty Cracker
@Mandalay: In somewhat related news, the mayor of St. Pete is joining other FL cities in a lawsuit against Rick Scott to roll back NRA-authored, Scott-rubber-stamped legislation that forbids municipalities from enacting local gun laws that are stricter than state laws.
Yarrow
I guess Comey’s book is coming out? The Republicans are desperate to discredit him.
Yarrow
@Betty Cracker: Agreed. I’ve seen people comment about the rise of authoritarians, as if that’s what the people want. It’s more likely that’s what olilgarchs and plutocrats want, so they did things to push democracies in that direction.
Betty Cracker
@germy: Exactly. In one sense, I’m glad to see Bannon ooze back onto the scene, and not just because I own stock in Febreze. Bannon slithered off into the sunset after incurring Trump’s ire via the Wolfe book, and our Beltway media types moved on to the next squirrel. But Bannon is a key plank in this rickety Jenga treason tower, IMO, and the more scrutiny he invites, the likelier the entire con job will be exposed.
debit
@germy: Yeah, that or he really was stupid enough to think being President was like being a king, with ultimate power to crush anyone or anything that might be a problem.
Juice Box
“The labradoodle of Kentucky”. Heh. We have a brown standard poodle and when the pile of curls on top of his head gets too long, he always starts to remind me of Rand Paul and I have to trim his head so that I don’t see the senator every time I look at my dog.
Amir Khalid
@Yarrow:
Gee, that’s so clever.
catclub
@Roger Moore: The senator who was most concerned about that lying: Al Franken
MattF
@Yarrow: That was so successful in Germany in the 30’s.
In fact, of course, the old money, the plutocrats, the bankers, the oligarchs, the generals, the would-be aristocrats all folded simultaneously, like the proverbial cheap suit.
catclub
@Yarrow:
How about both. Lots of people would like simple answers to hard questions ( probably without the … but its wrong, part).
Ella in New Mexico
He’s pretty much sucking in this hearing. Lousy, simplistic answers. No candidness, no insight. No signs he’s Secretary of State material. Can’t answer anything definitively unless it’s to defend and protect Trump.
Should get confirmed sometime this afternoon, I’m guessing.
trollhattan
@Yarrow:
Yeah, get ready for a round of chat show appearances from the tall one. I’m not pleased he’s about to get rich directly or indirectly, as an outcome of his helping toss the election to Trump, regardless of the victor firing him for his troubles. If he’s so religious I hope he is daily spending considerable time asking for forgiveness.
Yarrow
@Amir Khalid: They’re not distancing themselves from Trump. They’re all in with his dumb nicknames for people.
Frankensteinbeck
Trump’s blustering threats that scared people into thinking he was about to start another war turned out to be hot air he was too lazy and cowardly to follow up on? For the fiftieth time? SHOCK TWIST!!!1!
Don’t worry, when Trump pushes him into the limelight, he’ll turn out to be covered in shit like all the others. I doubt he’ll be worse than Tillerson, just bad in a different way.
schrodingers_cat
@MattF: Just like Republicans in power, beltway media gatekeepers are doing today. Prestige media is busy normalizing Nazis, be it the NewsHour, the Atlantic or the NYT.
MattF
@Frankensteinbeck: I’ve been relying on Trump’s cowardice for a while now.
Yarrow
@tobie:
Thanks for calling. Maybe a post reminding people to call their Senators would be a good idea. If they’re tallying calls then let’s call!
germy
oof!
Ruviana
@oldster: She’s getting known more and more!!
tobie
@catclub:
I think the desire for simple answers is what made large swaths of the population in the UK, the US, and Europe so vulnerable to ethno-nationalist propaganda. The lurch rightwards in so many different places, with so many different conditions was not–or not only–a spontaneous response to globalization and the refugee crisis. I tend to agree with @Yarrow: This was an orchestrated phenomenon.
HRA
This part of the message the Rs are planning on doing against Comey was the first sentence of it on CNN.
“President Donald Trump’s allies are preparing an extensive campaign to fight back against James Comey’s publicity tour, trying to undermine the credibility of the former FBI director by reviving the blistering Democratic criticism of him before he was fired nearly a year ago.”
Elizabelle
@schrodingers_cat:
Yeah. I would like to see the Trump implosion take out big corporate media too. Their interests do not dovetail with a functioning democracy, which depends on an accurately informed public.
Jeffro
Btw Alexandra Petri’s piece in today’s Post is just magnificent. Let Ryan stand for all time as a lesson to Trumpov supporters and Trumpov enablers.
Mandalay
@germy: From your link:
Except that is exactly what they did. Eventually we will learn that Trump has been funneling money to AMI for years to buy the “stories” of people who had something on Trump in return for their silence.
Corner Stone
@germy: And since Cohen uses the same stock NDA for every hush money deal, we know why the paternity language was also in Stormy’s NDA. Even though her attorney says there is no child or DNA. This could turn into like a whole cult of little Trumps existing all over the US.
Elizabelle
@Jeffro: the link: WaPost: Alexandra Petri: Paul Ryan can’t possibly have made a deal with the Devil
The WaPost’s “satiric” columnist can see the truth more clearly than hacks who burnish Ryan’s blue-eyed “wonk” image.
Elizabelle
@Corner Stone: Great catch, re the paternity language.
Peale
@Corner Stone: we can start printing up “Ma, Ma, Where’s my pa?” buttons like its 1884.
germy
@Corner Stone:
Such industriousness and attention to detail is why he is paid the big bucks.
Duane
It’s remarkable Pompeo, Mulvany and others in Trump’s administration can run any agency or department. Where have these indispensable people been. Is Jared fixing the middle east? Devos can do infrastructure. Who needs John Kelly. No, seriously who?
Mandalay
@schrodingers_cat:
Speaking of Nazis, Newt is upset about the FBI raiding Michael Cohen’s home:
Unfortunately Newt is also a little confused, since here is what Cohen himself said about being raided:
Poor Newt. Only 74 and advanced senility is kicking in hard. I pray that Callista doesn’t take all his money and dump him for a younger man who isn’t losing his marbles.
J R in WV
Is any Senator on the Senate Committee going to directly ask Pompeo if he owns an Oil and Gas company involved with Chinese interests?
Is any Senator then going to follow up with the question “Did you disclose that ownership interest on the relevant forms prior to your confirmation hearings for CIA Director?”
Is anyone going to follow up with “Is there any good reason you should NOT be prosecuted for failing to comply with legal requirements prior to your last set of confirmation hearings?”
Yeah, I didn’t think so either!
MomSense
@tobie:
They cannot handle the mental demands of modern life. And they are racist and sexist AF.
rikyrah
@Betty Cracker:
uh huh
uh huh
rikyrah
@Jeffro:
Link, please.
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
thanks for the link :)
Mandalay
@Duane:
Well the person who is…
was formerly designing handbags.
Hope that helps.
Elizabelle
@J R in WV: Who are the Democrats on the Committee? Are you so sure they will not?
germy
https://www.theroot.com/deuces-paul-ryan-calls-it-quits-and-republicans-just-1825177281
Frankensteinbeck
@MattF:
Yes, I’m not the only person who has seen through Trump’s bluster here. It’s the only way to prevent heart attacks.
Elizabelle
@Peale: “Stolen the White House, ha ha ha.”
Elizabelle
WaPost top headline, just now:
I wish they’d used Sharknado.
trollhattan
@Mandalay:
So sad, that would be. She’d end up with enough cash to get her head de-lacquered.
trollhattan
@Elizabelle:
To be fair to tornadoes they’re rather well-organized, just not their behavior.
Elizabelle
Per Wiki, the Democrats on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
Bob Menendez, New Jersey, Ranking Member
Ben Cardin, Maryland
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Chris Coons, Delaware
Tom Udall, New Mexico
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Cory Booker, New Jersey
and the Republicans:
Bob Corker, Tennessee, Chairman
Jim Risch, Idaho
Marco Rubio, Florida
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Cory Gardner, Colorado
Todd Young, Indiana
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Rob Portman, Ohio
Rand Paul, Kentucky
EBT
@schrodingers_cat: Considering that they were bred to be hypoallergenic service animals, but ended up being status symbols.
trollhattan
Relax ladies, Ivanka’s got your back.
So much winning.
bemused
@MomSense:
Adapting to almost any change freaks them out, very weak coping skills.
Mandalay
Kasie Hunt was rightly getting roasted on BJ yesterday for giving Paul Ryan a tongue bath. Well she’s at it again today, fiercely defending Ryan’s silence over the conduct of Trump:
It’s seriously time for Kasie Hunt to fuck off and go away. She is an ambitious dangerous idiot, and she is the enemy within.
The relationship between Kasie Hunt and honest political reporting is very similar to the relationship between a spatula and a violin concerto.
StringOnAStick
I’m volunteering to help herd the delegate cats at the state assembly for the Democratic Party this Saturday, meaning I will be directing foot traffic, confirming delegates against the rolls and getting them their ballots. I guess that means I’ll know first who is the top spot for governor, secretary of state, etc. I’m new to all this but I am trying to follow Kay’s advice of volunteering instead of just sending money. And I get a T shirt plus food vouchers! 6:30 am to 3:30 pm so just like a work day for me. I hope they have chairs for us or else my less than enthusiastic knee will become even less so as the day goes on.
Jeffro
@Elizabelle: thanks for posting the link!
Truly, it is about as on target as anything I’ve ever read
Mnemosyne
@StringOnAStick:
Good luck! I hope you don’t get stuck trying to herd too many Sanders dead-enders. Just remember to treat them like toddlers who cannot have that cookie no matter how many tantrums they throw.
catclub
@Mandalay:
The subtext of Newt’s statement is “If you are white.”
And bleating about rule of law, when Mueller passed it on to another part of DOJ, and any raid on lawyer’s premises has to pass double scrutiny, is doubly wrong. That is exactly what the rule of law entails.
Brachiator
Just went online to Balloon Juice and saw this as part of the opening post:
OK. It’s Thursday. I’m tired and it’s been a long week. But this asswipe is looking for praise for just for doing the goddam job he was elected to do?
What else does he want, a fucking parade? Oh, wait…
@Mandalay:
I have no idea who this person is. Probably a good thing.
Mnemosyne
@Elizabelle:
One of my favorite film noir movies is a little number called Alias Nick Beale, where otherwise honest DA Thomas Mitchell makes a deal with the devil, played by Ray Milland, to finally bring a particularly crooked gangster to justice.
The really notable thing about this particular take on the Faust legend is that Mitchell’s character gets no goodies for his sale. It’s all pain and tricky bargains à la “The Monkey’s Paw.” Very interesting version of a classic story.
glory b
@trollhattan: She and Jared have a real knack for getting out of town when things go south.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Mandalay: What Newt means is it’s OK to kick the door down at 3 am without warning if there are brown people involved, citizens or not. But not rich white guys.
bemused
@germy:
Rachel Maddow spent a lot of time on Ryan last evening. The boy “genius” with the “magic” plan was total fabrication as is GOP principles. The GOP can’t/won’t govern. The only thing they do is put lipstick on pigs. I had forgotten the smarmy videos Ryan made to praise himself after he became speaker. Nauseating. That reminded me of the Young Guns, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and Kevn McCarthy with their book America, A New Generation of Conservative Leaders and their equally pathetic video with soaring music featuring themselves.
Only McCarthy is left now.
Mandalay
@Brachiator:
Yes, it is a definitely a good thing, but FYI she is a female equivalent of David Gregory, who wants to be buddies with everyone, while saying (or not saying) anything to advance her career.
She is currently employed by Paul Ryan, making sure that everyone knows his shit doesn’t stink and he really is retiring to spend more time with his family.
Brachiator
@bemused:
Kevin McCarthy is a California congressman. I guess he might be one of the candidates to succeed Ryan as Speaker. Interesting that even though the California GOP has little importance at the state level in CA, it might still be possible for one of them to have power at the national level.
The Moar You Know
Called it last night in Adam’s thread. Trump is so weak it’s fucking pathetic.
Elizabelle
@Mnemosyne: Never heard of it.
Alias Nick Beale. Goes on my search list. Thanks.
TenguPhule
@J R in WV: The only one who would got kicked out last year.
d58826
Couple of Twitter comments that Der Fuhrer wants to rejoin TPP. (sigh)
sukabi
@Amir Khalid: I’m pretty sure desperation perspiration has soaked thru all 4 of Bannons shirts. He wants to derail Mueller’s investigation because it’s likely to sweep him up as well.
Gelfling 545
@trollhattan: Great. Steve Bannon: midwife to European Naziism.
Gelfling 545
@Mandalay: Now there I take issue with you. Trump rarely sees his way to actually PAY. He gets by with a little help from his “friends”.
catclub
@The Moar You Know:
Yes, But now that all the Syrian aircraft are on Russian bases, he should wait until they relax and go back where we are willing to hit them.
Hitting them on the Russian bases is something I would be happy to be pathetic about, too.
Uncle Cosmo
@germy: No no no no! Globalism for capital & oligarchs – who get to transfer themselves untrammeled at the speed of light or Learjets, respectively. Tribalism for everyone else – who are all falling off the same Wile E Coyote cliff, but the melanin-challenged get to shove Those People farther down & enjoy the microsecond gratification when they hit bottom first.
Think of Vlad the Paler as King of the Oligarchs – the crappo di tutti crappi – & it all makes poifick sense.
(ETA: Thai Poe.)
Hunter
“People who’ve met Pompeo claim he comes across as an intelligent and charming dude.”
Sociopaths are invariably charming, and often quite intelligent.