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This post is in: Open Threads, Trump Crime Cartel
It’s Friday after hours, so President Donald Trump has fired another Inspector General. This one, for the Department of State, apparently was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Trump is destroying our democracy. Intentionally. Methodically. This is nothing less than authoritarian overtures to increase his power. I can tell you of other countries who have done the same in history. It didn't end well for them or their country.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) May 16, 2020
Pay attention America. https://t.co/0mqh2ZfcXd
House Foreign Affairs chair @RepEliotEngel: “I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Sec. Pompeo. Mr. Linick’s firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation.” https://t.co/lwhSMvmMZM pic.twitter.com/QrBPqCqMJf
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) May 16, 2020
The late-night, weekend firing of State Department IG Steve Linick is an acceleration of the President’s dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people. https://t.co/VavmuJpX25
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 16, 2020
Open thread!
Comments are closed.
laura
Upon who’s advice and council is he taking this action and why?
Mary G
Kamala said it – Dude.Gotta.Go.
bbleh
Oh dwacious doodness! Twump gonna do somethin’ baaaad! Oh noes, what we gonna DO? Ooo, Ima make a STERRN TWEET, and maybe issue a PWESS WELEASE! We thweaten SEWIOUS OVERSIGHTS! Oooo, DAT’ll show ‘im, yeah!
Look, I’m as respectful as anyone of the difficulties Pelosi has of wrangling the Dem caucus but FOR FK’S SAKE WHAT’S IT TAKE? What does it take for them actually to DO something instead of sputtering and flapping their hands?
When’s the next time they need to vote on ANY appropriation, for ANY part of the government, that benefits Trump’s supporters, or even a larger part of the general public? Cut it off! Issue conditions, and if they’re not met, cut it off! Who’s the public gonna blame? Whom did they blame for the last shutdown? (HINT: IT WAS TRUMP) Use the damn power of the purse! (You sure haven’t got very far with your investigations or subpoenas — wonder why…) Kick him where it hurts!
Honestly, I despair of the Democratic Party sometimes …
MomSense
It never stops.
August West
Donnie Butthurt is an existential threat to our Constitution and to this planet and it’s absolutely essential that this raving, frothing lunatic be defeated in November.
Nauseating video of MAGA neanderthals in Suffolk County, NY verbally abusing a local tv news reporter
mediaite.com/tv/traitor-local-news-reporter-abused-and-stalked-by-lockdown-protestors-on-long-island…
Naturally, Donnie Butthurt tweeted approval of his thuggish supporters.
laura
@bbleh: Hey everybody – look at this asshole!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
that’s the problem, in a nutshel
@laura: I did, but I got annoyed and scrolled through
Cheryl Rofer
Mike in NC
Because he has nothing better to do, Fat Bastard intends to spend the next six months settling scores with enemies real and imagined.
Frankensteinbeck
@bbleh:
The actual power to do so. It’s pretty damn hard to stop Trump when you have one half of one of three branches of government. She has seriously slowed things down, but she can’t chuck him out without McConnell’s cooperation, which is not ever going to happen.
This sounds great, but is not practical. It will do even more damage to the country than COVID is doing now, for… what? What exactly? Non-binding agreements? What is McConnell going to be willing to pass that would significantly restrain Trump? So what it will actually do is create a government shutdown that will cause incredible suffering, Democrats will be blamed for, and will destroy our very likely chance of fixing things in November. In return we would get nothing. Nothing at all.
Sorry, there is no simple solution here, and clapping louder will not fix anything.
bluehill
The sacking of these IGs could “just” be that they were getting too close to uncomfortable truths, but if I put on my conspiracy hat, I think his team is planning ahead. There may be more use for having flunkies in key oversight positions going forward. It’s taken 3 years, but Trump has gotten his people in some key positions like the DOJ, USPS, DNI, Senate. plus the IGs he’s canned.
bbleh
@laura: And your suggestion is to ask upon who’s advice and counsel (not council) he is taking this potentially ill-advised action?
Are you a NYTimes writer? Just asking …
O. Felix Culpa
@laura: Pie is your friend. :)
bbleh
@Frankensteinbeck: True, they can’t achieve anything positive. But they CAN achieve something negative. They can take a page out of “Grim Reaper” McConnell’s playbook and screw things up for him, and do it in the right place and time to hurt his re-election prospects.
Clapping louder hasn’t EVER worked. But neither have stern tweets, or furrowed brows, or pointed questions in oversight hearings or … any other butter-knife they’ve brought to the street fight.
Frankensteinbeck
@bluehill:
Naah. Like most wildly incompetent bosses, Trump hires wildly incompetent people. He’s not seeding key positions. He’s just leaving them untenanted. Bluntly, he and his top flunkies are all too stupid and self-centered to plan ahead like that, especially into the next presidency, when they won’t be there so that situation doesn’t really exist.
Frankensteinbeck
@bbleh:
They do this all the time. Witness the last shutdown. It’s amazing how Democrats can’t get credit for what they do.
Cheryl Rofer
This is not my best time of day for analysis, and the kittehs are demanding their late-night crunchies. See y’all tomorrow!
Another Scott
Warning Politico:
What are we going to do about it? We’re going to vote them out.
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.
scav
@O. Felix Culpa: I’m going to need a more balanced diet soon — the junk dessert deliverers are attaining locust proportions. Somebody’s getting worried.
bbleh
@Frankensteinbeck: IIRC they did get credit, and the consequences were illuminating. That was a year and a half ago. Seems to me that a USG furlough right now would have LESS impact on the workers directly affected, and I would be willing to bet it would have an even worse effect on Trump.
Or we could just … do nothing. Yeah, let’s just do that. I mean, Trump, waddaya waddaya.
Omnes Omnibus
@bbleh: That mimeograph fluid will fuck you up fast. Better get outside and let your head clear a bit.
Victor Matheson
@bbleh: I totally agree! What we should all do right now in the face of yet another example of unethical behavior on the part of Republicans is … checks notes… blame the Democrats? Maybe Pelosi should destroy all of the PPE and ventilators in the country until something is done just to show Trump that the Democrats mean business. Yeah, that will show them! There is nothing the Republicans value more than the health and safety of American citizens.
Seriously, this is why BJ should both have downvoting of comments and blocking of commenters.
O. Felix Culpa
@scav: I wonder why they bother with us, although we are a nearly top ten thousand blog.
O. Felix Culpa
@Cheryl Rofer: Thanks for the post…and happy crunchies to the kitties!
Omnes Omnibus
Email Cole. Use all caps to get his attention. I’m sure he will be happy to hear from you.
Seriously though, the occasional real crazy person is a relief from the trolls.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Victor Matheson:
I don’t think it’s a good idea to block commenters for a mere difference of opinion unless they’re trolling
Jay Noble
I would like to remind folks the crap doesn’t end Novemver 4th but rather January 4 and January 20. Those 2 and half months scare the crap out of me! (I’m going on the premise we win)
Sxjames
Mmm… I had no idea that Pompeo was under investigation. Oh well. Firing the IG just assures that whatever Pompeo did will now get a public airing, rather than a quiet investigation.
Trump is really, really stupid. But we knew that
burnspbesq
@bbleh:
OK, smarty-pants, tell us, in detail, what any applicable Federal statute gives Congress the power to do in the face of a Presidential decision to remove an IG.
oh. You have no clue? Imagine my surprise.
Brachiator
The cat and mouse game continues. Trump intends to rule without oversight, and is attempting to get the Supreme Court to sign off on the principle that he has absolute authority while in office. The Republican leadership refuse to rein him in.
November cannot come too soon.
TS (the original)
@MomSense:
Indeed – and imagine what he can do in another 6 months – let alone 4 years. He will allow a family member to inherit the presidency, govern while incompetent, dissolve congress or all of the previous with the blessing of Mitch McConnell & those who would retain power by ensuring only the deplorables get to vote.
Ruckus
@bbleh:
What would you have her/them do? They’ve already impeached his dumb ass and that worked so well.
The reality is the way our government is situated right now, no one can really stop this shit except us in November. The biggest thing will be to make sure that shitforbrains® and the republican party pays for their malfeasance and fix the system so that it would be much harder to happen again. Because it will, the republican party obviously does not want a legitiment government.
JaySinWA
If Politico is right Pompeo asked for this firing. He may have pushed this to the foreground and made it worse for himself.
For the moment the press has its shiny object to investigate. It has an opportunity to make a difference.
This is a thirty day notice of firing. The Senate has 30 days to do its job. We have a chance to push them to do it.
Mary G
Nancy Pelosi passed a $3 trillion bill providing relief to regular people and states today. She has no further power. It all comes down to voting in November. Cook Political Report moved Lindsey Graham’s reelection from safe Republican to leans Republican and the state GOP chair sounds like he’s whistling past the graveyard. Eyes on the prize, or like the last president tweeted this week, “Vote.”
MomSense
@TS (the original):
The scary thing is that this is his performance when he wants to be re-elected. A second term would be even worse.
Ruckus
@Victor Matheson:
BJ has a pie filter.
I’m against censorship, primarily because the person(s) in charge of censoring often are worse than the censored person and over the years we’ve seen what censorship gets you. It’s worse.
Yutsano
@bbleh:
I shouldn’t bother but…
Budget appropriations for 2020 already happened. It ended this wittle thing called the shutdown. Remember that? The budget for 2021 is next, and that almost always gets a CR until after the election. So go ahead: please point out the budget leverage the House has here. I’ll wait.
dopey-o
Speaking of what the democrats in Congress can do…
Can IG Linick be called to testify?
Can the White forbid that? Throw enough lawyers at it to delay testimony past Nov 3?
Call Linick’s replacement to testify?
Will Linick ‘s replacement require Senate hearings and confirmation?
Will Pompeo now refuse to appear in June before Rep Nadler’s committee?
Steeplejack (phone)
@burnspbesq:
Happy belated birthday! ??? It was Thursday, right?
James E Powell
@Ruckus:
How about dressing up in camo & vests & showing up fully armed at their meetings? Seen it work for other people. No treason in defense of slavery flags for our side, but maybe rainbow flags?
JaySinWA
@James E Powell: Yeah, no, although guns do seem to get attention, even fake ones, OTOH it tends to get people killed.
One thing we can do before November is to make sure our congress people hear from us about this. It may not move congress to act but it may apply pressure. It wouldn’t hurt to harass news people who ignore this as well.
Major Major Major Major
I saw that. Blech.
NotMax
Sometimes a picture is worth a whole barrel of words.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Trump let a killer disease lose on the nation because he’s both dumb and lazy, meanwhile robs money from the military to build his stupid wall. Trump can’t balance his own check book much less understand the Federal Budget, Jesus Christ guy.
Freemark
Personally I don’t think the IG is being fired by Trump for any particular reason other than it’s an IG not in his pocket. Pompeo probably just pointed to this one and said ‘here’s one you missed’. I wouldn’t be surprised if he fired every IG in the federal government the way Bush fired the AG’s if he can figure out how to do the paperwork.
N M
Is that… sobbing? that I hear, coming from Mitch McConnell’s office now that his best hope to hold the senate seat in KS is up in a puff of smoke?
Kobach now has a better chance of winning that primary, which can’t be anything but good news for the donkey party.
cain
We need to weaponize Hillary Clinton. Just drag these people into court then later have Hillary Clinton on, and then have her ask the question to these people “Do you think as President I should have oversight” – and watch these assholes squirm to say ‘no’ to support their position would fuck themselves so badly.
They would know that if they said no to support the President, they’d get fucked. It will be beautiful. If they said yes, it would be, ‘that’s the right answer, so why don’t you feel the same about Donald Trump?”
It will fuck Trump over too.
West of the Rockies
@Jay Noble:
I think we will win. As noted before, Joe is ahead in 5 or 6 battleground states that Trump won in ’16. Trump has not embiggened his base of morons. He’s shed far more than he’s attracted. Trump won a plurality of Catholic voters; Biden is Catholic and will do better than HRC with that group. The economy is in shreds. 100,000 will be dead by June 1st just as things will heat up in the “duh, Liberate!” states. These last two points will cause further erosion to Drumph.
moops
Impeach him again. I’m serious. Barr too. Walk and chew gum. Go to it.
Ruckus
@James E Powell:
You really want to go there?
You think that will end well?
Anathema Device
@N M:
Huh? What did I miss? What has Linick’s firing to do with Kentucky or McConnell?
Geminid
@Anathema Device: N M may be referring to the effort McConnell is making to persuade Pompeo to run for the Kansa Senate seat held by retiring Pat Roberts. The Democrats have a good candidate in state senator Barbara Bollier, while the Republicans have a 3 way primary that may be won by Kris Kobach. Kobach lost Democrat Laura Kelly in the 2018 governor’s race. Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, but McConnell is worried. I think Pompeo is looking at a 2024 presidential run, and may figure that he’s better positioned out of the Senate.
SFAW
@Ruckus:
The answer is OBVIOUS. As second-in-line for the Presidency, the Speaker can issue a proclamation that the Murderer-in-Chief is unfit for office, and therefore shall be dismissed, to await trial for Doing Stuff Intended to Destroy a Functioning American Government (“DSIDFAG”). The Constitution explicitly allows it — it’s in Article XI.
Although I like bbleh’s idea about making sure the budget goes out of its way to harm Red States, because that’s how the Demon-rats roll. Or something.
I think the idea of investigations, leading to another one, two, or ten impeachments, is also a winner. I firmly believe that Mitch McConnell will see the number of investigations, and say to himself “Well, they seem to be really serious about this, maybe it’s time to rethink my opposition.” And I’m sure Suzy Collins will be right there with him, because she’s a “moderate.”
And so forth …
J R in WV
@Victor Matheson:
You still haven’t figured out the pie filter?
Better than just blocking, you get funny cartoons and can toggle open a view of the comment if you want. Which I do often for regular commenters who are pied because they reply to someone who deserves to be pied.
J R in WV
@SFAW:
NO, it isn’t. The US constitution only has VII articles. Also Amendment XI is very brief and excludes the federal court system from being used to sue states, saying nothing about replacing a president.
Just plain old wrong in this instance…
Another Scott
@SFAW: You could have just pointed us to twitter.com/BadLegalTakes and saved all that typing.
;-)
Hehe. Well done.
Cheers,
Scott.
Anathema Device
@Geminid: thank you. Although I doubt if Pompeo really wanted to be in the Senate, a bit of petty corruption (as he would see it) would stop him, even if people talked about it in their outside voices.