He is the only credible pick of Trump. From what I have read he is an intellectual, very well read (over 6000 books) and a decent man. Thank goodness for small favors
Agree 100%: He and Gen. Kelly at Homeland Security.
The fact that the soldiers under him give him high praise and love him counts for me, I am fine with him, if only the other picks had half the decency;(
Iran: What a chicken. We want our WMD.
“When America gives its words we have to live up to it and work with our allies,” he said.
n that’s the second nominee who is at odds with his future boss. #whosecabinetisthisagain?
Trump: “Damn, I should have asked him about that! I picked him because he looks like George C. Scott as General Patton.”
It’s nice to know that SecDef will be (relatively) sane.
There will be some very interesting cabinet meetings in the coming months. I’d love to be able to listen to LOPV respond when someone like Gen Mattis tells him, “No, sir. You can’t do that, sir.”
Military people learn an inflection on the word sir that makes it signify anything from disdain to disgust rather than respect. LOPV doesn’t do nuance well, but even he might be able to pick up on that bit.
I’d add these three as potentially acceptable:
David Shulkin (Veterans Affairs sec.) seems a fine pick.
John Kelly (Homeland Security) is mean-spirited and a bit kooky on immigration issues. But he has some qualifications and could certainly be worse.
Ryan Zinke (Interior) may not be qualified, but he doesn’t seem like a complete ideologue. And he comes from the hunting end of things so he might but some halt on the kleptocratic feeding frenzy for minerals that the GOP wants to restart on public land. Best thing about him is that Dems could win his seat.
None of them would be my picks. But unlike the other nominees they are approximately along the lines of most Bush appointees, rather than something worse.
Is it me, or is General Mattis the only Trump appointee who is an actual patriot and is sane?
As arc says above, yes plus those other tiny handful. But thank goodness for Mattis at least.
I expect Mattis to resign soon.
OR be unceremoniously fired for an act of lese majeste.
I dont understand where 6,000 books read becomes a credential. I agree that Donald Trump has probably never read one of the great works of literature, history or human thought. But 6,000 books in his entire life? Does it include the entire Hardy Boys or Tom Swift series? Anyway, I am probably being crotchety.
so…we see a few statements that contradict the pretenders views…which as we know change depending on his mood…since he has zero understanding of any of the issues that would cement his views…but…first…seems to me there are plenty of word games played that allow different (actions) points of views as soon as these nominees leave their chair…and IF this is a decent man…how does that square with his groveling before the pretender in order to get the job.?..since it is long understood the pretender ONLY associates with people who exhibit subservient behavior toward him
That’s the big problem here that I just can’t come to terms with.
From what I’ve heard so far, it sounds as if Mattis would be going against whatever craziness Rump would be directing him to do. That’s a good thing. How does he not get let go within months of finding ways of not telling Rump he’s a f*cking moron?
Or directing the military to disobey him?
EDIT TO ADD: According to my Twitter TL, Mattis just stated, for the record, that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. Well, that’s not what his boss seems to think although what he thinks you could fit into small outdoor commode.
N that’s why I brought that up
Most view Pence as a 21c Cotton Mather wannabe, but the thing that unfortunately didn’t get a lot of chatter was that like Clinton, Pence is for a Syrian no fly zone. That of course flies against what Trump accepts as policy.
Ohhh well
though I agree with some of this post, Mathis was willing to be Cincinnatus and whatever happens, happened.
McCain and the GOP establishment reportedly bought Mathis’s name up for consideration.
Which means his tenure under TRump is likely to be short lived.