Secretary of State Mike Pompeo privately called for now-former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick’s ouster while the watchdog was in the middle of investigating Pompeo’s potential misuse of an office staffer, according to multiple reports.
Trump removing independent watchdogs
For trying to investigate the illicit walking of dogs.
This might actually lead to a good ending. Moscow Mitch wants Pompeo to run for the Senate seat in Kansas so Kris Kobach doesn’t get the nomination and lose again. Pompeo would probably win the nomination if he runs but now he has handed his opponent lots of good material for political ads that basically write themselves. It is still somewhat of a long shot for a Dem to win the Kansas Senate seat but the odds are better if Pompeo either stays out of it or is damaged by this story.
“It’s good to be queen. Lord knows I deserve it.”
— Susan Pompeo
The entire executive branch exists to run Trump’s personal errands. By that measure, picking up dry cleaning is small potatoes.
Who could possibly have expected this to come out after firing the IG? It’s like they all have political death wishes, or an urgent need to embarrass themselves in public.
HRC would have been forced to resign over this. The WP and NYT would have written up a letter of resignation for her to sign and sent it to her, along with two large men in shades snd black suits.
I’m waiting for the inevitable editorials asking whether it’s really improper to make more efficient use of one’s time by making subordinates complete mundane personal tasks for you.
And immediately be named something stupid like Puppygate.
Trump: hey Reince, swat this fly.
Pompeo: hey bub, don’t forget the plastic baggy this time.
fox: Republicans really relate to the working class men of America!
Mitt: I am concerned! Now watch my dancing horse.
Yeah, they’re shrinking government in a pandemic and drowning it in the bathtub swamp for menial jobs like this?
tsk tsk
Someone, I forget who, wrote yesterday that we should retire the Nixon-era “-gate” suffix and replace it with “a-Lago”.
So…Pup-a-Lago.
To be or support Republicans you must have two sets of morals and standards, one for yourself and another for everyone else. In fact for most Republicans they are Republicans because they think the favorite set of morals and standards apply to you. When they realize the favorite set of morals and standards, the one that allows corporations and billionaires to not pay taxes and Jerry Falwell Jr. to be a swinger and a leader of the “moral majority” does not apply to them, they sometimes switch their votes, which is why Kentucky has a Democrat Governor.
Imagine a police commissioner taking bribes from businesses to overlook some class of crimes. It’s an unspoken secret in the department it goes on, and is talked about in the Mayor’s office. Internal Affairs decides to open an investigation. The police chief recommends to the Mayor the head of Internal Affairs be fired. The Mayor happily fires him. Then a spokesman for the Mayor says yeah, the chief asked for this, and we did it.
And then a majority of the City Council shrugs their shoulders and signals to the city “So what?”
…Pompeo allegedly ordering a political appointee to run personal errands for himself and his wife, including dry cleaning pickups, making dinner reservations for the couple, and even walking their dog.
That’s it? Where the grift? No dead bodies? Pompy is not the first cabinet member to grab a few perks on the side. But the Stupid is strong in this one. Instead of a probable slap on the wrist, he now gets himself a full-blown scandal. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In Trumplandia, it’s a badge of honor.
“Downton Abbey, The Lost Corn Shucker Episodes.“
Well…OMIGOD. Don’t these overseers KNOW that the overindulged, over entitled MAGAhats get to ‘do what they want, when they want’ and we are only here to serve and hand over our money? Whaaaaaaaat???
A smart person wanting all this to go away would publicly acknowledge a lapse in judgment, promise it wouldn’t happen again, and have an auditor tally the hours spent on all the personal errands and cut the Treasury a check to compensate for the abuse.
But Trump won’t condone admissions of error or apologies.
Headline rewrite desperately needed. It sounds as if the IG was the one who ordered his aide to run personal errands.
ETA: Suggested: Fired IG Probing Whether Pompeo Ordered Aide To Walk Dog, Run Other Personal Errands
Pompeo exudes - and oozes - arrogance.