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You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Hail to the Hairpiece / Midnight (Bad) Movies Open Thread: The Incredible Shrinking Zinke

Midnight (Bad) Movies Open Thread: The Incredible Shrinking Zinke

by Anne Laurie|  December 16, 201812:41 am| 32 Comments

This post is in: Hail to the Hairpiece, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Republicans in Disarray!, All Too Normal

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Ernst Blofeld Considering Stepping Down From Trump S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Commission Ahead Of Democratic House Takeover pic.twitter.com/MAzpicc9Ha

— Acting Attorney General Orange Leader (@OrangeLeaderUSA) December 16, 2018

WH official tells me Zinke's exit necessary. Why? Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will soon take gavel at Natural Res. Cmmte.

Since Zinke has taken personal shots at Grijalva for his struggles w/ alcoholism, official says the WH, already embattled, wants to avoid brutal/newsy Zinke hearings.

— Robert Costa (@costareports) December 15, 2018

Grijalva on Zinke, restrained: “This is no kind of victory, but I’m hopeful that it is a genuine turning of the page. Secretary Zinke’s successor has a chance to move on from on an unfortunate Trump administration record of environmental mismanagement and decline."

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) December 15, 2018

It’s true. Hard to remember another cabinet secretary who racked up 17 federal investigations into his conduct in two years, a possibly unmatched accomplishment. https://t.co/nvHgAMa74b

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) December 15, 2018


It’s gonna be ‘Dick Dulvaney’. https://t.co/sJ8kGufQyz

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) December 15, 2018

Congratulations to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who now inherits the mantle of “Most Vulnerable.” https://t.co/jjualJKnBi

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) December 15, 2018

Cannot-Make-It-Up Department. Interior Secretary under investigation for allegedly trying to enrich himself in office wouldn't leave job until he could have Christmas party with lobbyists and take pictures in front of stuffed polar bear https://t.co/SLfl8ZYtnl

— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) December 15, 2018

Could Trump just be waiting for his pic with the stuffed polar bear, too.

— Alamo_on_the_rise (@AlamoOnTheRise) December 15, 2018

“WANNA BE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND MOW THE NATIONAL PARKS?” pic.twitter.com/bY22nwYbSl

— Jacob T. Levy (@jtlevy) December 15, 2018

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32Comments

  1. 1.

    Sister Golden Bear

    December 16, 2018 at 12:43 am

    Hard to remember another cabinet secretary who racked up 17 federal investigations into his conduct in two years, a possibly unmatched accomplishment.

    Admittedly, the competition is fierce right now.

  2. 2.

    Jerzy Russian

    December 16, 2018 at 12:47 am

    Who among us is not the subject of 17 federal investigations? Let’s not be so quick to judge.

  3. 3.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    December 16, 2018 at 12:50 am

    I wonder if they’ll subpoena him anyway. I hope so.

  4. 4.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    December 16, 2018 at 12:51 am

    @Sister Golden Bear:
    @Jerzy Russian:
    But most of them were closed! And really they were all started by the the Deep State anyway.

    //I wish this wasn’t how the Trumpenproletariate actually “thought”.

  5. 5.

    Balconesfault

    December 16, 2018 at 12:51 am

    Worst Eagle Scout ever.

  6. 6.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 16, 2018 at 12:56 am

    @Balconesfault: Worst SEAL ever. And given he’s competing with Hegseth and Higbee and Greitens and the SEALs that killed that Green Beret who caught them smuggling drugs, that’s saying something.

    It is amazing that all the shitbird SEALs seem to be MAGA types.

  7. 7.

    Yarrow

    December 16, 2018 at 1:09 am

    @Adam L Silverman: Seems like the only ones I ever hear about are the dickwad types. The good ones must just keep quiet about what they do/did.

  8. 8.

    piratedan

    December 16, 2018 at 1:16 am

    I wouldn’t be shocked if Grijalva goes after his ass, the corruption was so incredibly in your face that even when (not if) the GOP says its a personal vendetta I doubt it will cut much slack when you consider the amount of disdain the Big Z showed to his job and charges…. Considering Grijalva’s district encompasses one national park (Saguaro) this district actually takes this shit seriously considering the amount of tourism dollars that are at stake and this guy seemed to take it as his duty to follow Trump’s example of personal enrichment above all other considerations.

  9. 9.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    December 16, 2018 at 1:21 am

    @Adam L Silverman:
    @Yarrow:

    I used to know and work with a guy who wanted to be a SEAL. He was a right-wing loudmouth. So there’s definitely a connection.

  10. 10.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 16, 2018 at 1:22 am

    @Yarrow: They do. Zinke was actually run out of the community, denied an O6/captain level command, because he pulled the same financial scams as a SEAL that he was pulling as Secretary of the Interior. O’Neill, another MAGA supporting former SEAL, wrote a book claiming he made the shot that killed bin Laden. Aside from the fact that two other SEALs on his team have claimed the shot, and he was never formally recognized as doing so, and without authorization, he wrote the book anyway. Which is a major no no in that community. He then went on TV and promoted it and himself. Also a big breach.

  11. 11.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 16, 2018 at 1:25 am

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: My boss is one. He’s good people. Like every other occupation and profession, SEALs include all types.

  12. 12.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 16, 2018 at 1:26 am

    Sleepy time.

  13. 13.

    NotMax

    December 16, 2018 at 1:32 am

    Next we’ll find out the polar bear is stuffed with spotted owls.

  14. 14.

    jl

    December 16, 2018 at 1:36 am

    Ross is as smart, cold and calculating a conperson who don’t give a shit as you could ever find. I guess it could get awkward if all the lawsuits against him for defrauding his business partners and investors prevail, he gets wiped out, and they attach his salary to pay off the judgment. But Ross is richer than God so that is very unlikely to happen.

    And Ross was boss of the Bank of Malta, I think, a clearing house for Russian money of all sorts, and the route through which much of it was steered into Trump coffers, IIRC. So, Trump can’t really mess with Ross.

  15. 15.

    Joseph A. Miller

    December 16, 2018 at 1:50 am

    @jl: Bank of Cyprus

  16. 16.

    jl

    December 16, 2018 at 1:59 am

    @Joseph A. Miller: Thanks for reminder.

  17. 17.

    Amir Khalid

    December 16, 2018 at 2:08 am

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:
    There’s a difference between the wannabes and the real thing.

  18. 18.

    oatler.

    December 16, 2018 at 3:11 am

    Go on, take the money and run, hoo, hoo!

  19. 19.

    Ryan

    December 16, 2018 at 3:12 am

    Well, after letting all those forests go unraked, it’s no wonder he’d be fired.

  20. 20.

    TriassicSands

    December 16, 2018 at 3:47 am

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Many haven’t hung around long enough to earn all the investigations that would have naturally occurred had they stayed longer. The Trump administration is just one endless parade of criminals. If asked to name the worst Trump official, I’m pretty sure the world’s most powerful supercomputer would explode trying to decide. It’s like trying to decide which is “bigger” — infinity or forever.

    Grijalva’s hopes about the next Secretary of the Interior are just mandatory political verbiage. He’s got to say that, but expecting Trump to pick someone who isn’t a full-blown environmental plunderer is just silly. The odds are that Zincke’s successor will be as bad or worse.

  21. 21.

    CarolDuhart2

    December 16, 2018 at 4:40 am

    @TriassicSands: I’m starting to wonder if these positions will ever get filled now. Nobody wants to be part of the growing mess that is the Trump Administration or expose themselves to possible inadvertant legal liability. What if he asks you to be part of some coverup? Or do something flagrantly illegal? Or you overhear some detail of inappropriate activity?

  22. 22.

    OzarkHillbilly

    December 16, 2018 at 4:59 am

    @CarolDuhart2: What if he asks you to be part of some coverup? Say, “No.” Or do something flagrantly illegal? Say, “No.” Or you overhear some detail of inappropriate activity? Report it to the Inspector General.

    Easy peasy. This however is more problematic:

    Nobody wants to be part of the growing mess that is the Trump Administration or expose themselves to possible inadvertant legal liability.

    Because you just know some shit is coming down the pike that is going to open up whoever takes on the thankless job to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of legal liability.

  23. 23.

    swiftfox

    December 16, 2018 at 7:05 am

    @TriassicSands: That’s why I would not be surprised if current acting director of NPS, Daniel Smith, would be asked to step up to head DOI. He sandbagged one NPS ranger to let Redskins owner Snyder get away with cutting trees down on NPS land to have an unobstructed view of the Potomac River. And had to apologize for an obscene act shortly after being named acting director of NPS. He’d be the perfect Trump choice!

    Barring that, it would go to a western Repub who just lost an election. Dean Heller, possibly, or Rosendale, who lost to Tester. McSally is jockeying for the other AZ senate seat. Kyl doesn’t have western land issues listed as an interest and probably wants to go back to lobbyist grifting. The #2 at DOI already has enough transgressions for a previous WaPo article so he’s a possibility.

  24. 24.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    December 16, 2018 at 7:37 am

    It shows you how politically inept these guys are that they act as if they will always be the party in power. So it was like Zinke didn’t notice that Grijalva was the ranking member on that committee. You see it with the rest of them too, including Trump.

  25. 25.

    Ken

    December 16, 2018 at 8:00 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: There’s ample precedent for the House summoning former cabinet secretaries for questioning.

    (Which I first said a few days ago, but it feels so good to repeat it.)

  26. 26.

    Ken

    December 16, 2018 at 8:01 am

    “WANNA BE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND MOW THE NATIONAL PARKS?”

    Why couldn’t that kid have wanted to rake the White House lawn? We’ve got such terrible scriptwriters in this reality.

  27. 27.

    trnc

    December 16, 2018 at 8:46 am

    @CarolDuhart2: Are you kidding? Those have to be on the resume.

  28. 28.

    Ken

    December 16, 2018 at 8:56 am

    @trnc: As in the “Dish and Dishonesty” episode of Blackadder where Blackadder is helping Baldrick fill out the application to run for Parliament. “Oh come now, Baldrick, you’re running for Parliament! I’ll just put fraud and sexual deviancy.”

  29. 29.

    Jay Noble

    December 16, 2018 at 11:16 am

    How many of these folks headed for the exits, were confirmed on party line votes of the Senate? Bit of a tell, I’d guess.

  30. 30.

    Xenos

    December 16, 2018 at 11:22 am

    I one interviewed to work at a Ross-run business back in 2015.

    There was no indication from public information that he was involved with the company, and the headhunter did not mention it. I go into the interview and it is one of the first things mentioned, like it some glamorous thing everybody knew about. I had no idea who Wilbur Ross was, and had never heard of him. After determining that he was in deep with Cypriot banks I was obviously not too impressed with him, and they were shocked that I cared.

    For context, this was just a couple years after the Cypriot bank account holders were forced to take a 40% haircut by the EU central bank in order for the banks to get a bailout. There was so much dirty money in the banks that the banks basically burned their KYC records, and could produce very little evidence that any real AML steps had been done.

    That was the last I ever worked with that headhunter.

  31. 31.

    Michael Cain

    December 16, 2018 at 11:24 am

    @swiftfox:

    Barring that, it would go to a western Repub who just lost an election.

    Rumors seem to be it will be David Bernhardt, currently a deputy secretary and former lobbyist for oil, gas, and water companies. Bernhardt or someone similar is my fear: just as bad on policy, intimately familiar with how the rule-making process works, without Zinke’s grifting. Same thing is happening at EPA.

  32. 32.

    StringOnAStick

    December 16, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    I thought Heller was a top choice but them I remembered that my sister in NV told me what a legacy hire idiot he is. Bernhardt makes the most sense because he’ll be a much more efficient at pillaging than loudmouth Zinky ever was

    It seems like the first set of trump hires were for show for the base, and now we’re getting the ones who can actually do more harm faster. Maybe that’s the marching orders from Adelson, Mercers, etc.

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