[y66]

From the NYT's morning briefing:

Quote

Roy Moore, a firebrand former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, defeated Luther Strange in the runoff to be the Republican candidate for one of Alabama’s Senate seats on Tuesday.

President Trump and other party leaders had backed Mr. Strange. Mr. Trump deleted several tweets supporting Mr. Strange after the result was announced

.

[Winstonm]

The Trump effect downballot.

Quote

....it’s the seventh seat that Democrats have flipped nationally this year—compared to zero for Republicans. And down ballot, Republicans typically do well in the Miami-area district.

[Winstonm]

Anyone else reminded of Russian oligarchs when reading about Trump appointees Pruitt and Mnuchin flying around the country on charter flights?

[RedSpawn]

Winstonm, on 2017-September-28, 07:37, said:

Anyone else reminded of Russian oligarchs when reading about Trump appointees Pruitt and Mnuchin flying around the country on charter flights?

No, I don't even think of Russian oligarchs. This is your garden variety of graft, corruption, and malfeasance. A simple monthly review of expenditure reports can help management control spiraling costs. However, management can not control what it does not review or measure--especially when management has expensive tastes and believes coach class seats should be reserved for the masses not for government officials.

[Winstonm]

RedSpawn, on 2017-September-28, 16:35, said:

No, I don't even think of Russian oligarchs. This is your garden variety of graft, corruption, and malfeasance. A simple monthly review of expenditure reports can help management control spiraling costs. However, management can not control what it does not review or measure--especially when management has expensive tastes and believes coach class seats should be reserved for the masses not for government officials.

You do realize that the president can authorize these expenditures, don't you? Just like Putin allows the oligarchs to have their piece of the Russian pie.

[RedSpawn]

PassedOut, on 2016-February-09, 14:33, said:

Okay. If a successful US foreign policy means nothing bad happening around the world, you are right. But I don't see it that way.

Obama has resisted the droolers who are constantly calling for more US "boots on the ground." He has stopped the US from engaging in torture. He has insisted that the rules of engagement for the conflicts he inherited be structured to try to reduce civilian casualties.

I recognize that there's lots of support for the notion that we should bomb the hell out of people until they start to like us: "The beatings will continue until morale improves."

Certainly Obama is not perfect, and we're never going to get a perfect leader. But I like that Obama does not subscribe to the idea that, "Real men don't think things through." Conservative David Brooks put it this way:


The goal of the US cannot be to fix everything wrong in the world, and especially not by blowing stuff up. Yes, we do need to defend ourselves, particularly since we've already gone out of our way to enrage so many folks by blowing stuff up.

But our policy goal must be to avoid making things worse, and to join with other countries to fix what we can. And, beyond that, to work on becoming the best country that we can be.

AMEN!

We have our noses all up in the Asia-Pacific Rim and are wagging our finger in a sanctimonious manner to China to tell them to handle this situation or we will.

We can't be the global police in every foreign policy matter. We have to allow China to make its own call in this region without considering our nuclear arsenal as a viable solution to a rogue state.

As a country, we need to put the cowboy diplomacy away (ka-pow, ka-pow, ka-boom, ka-boom) and follow China's lead instead of dictating the endgame in the region. The nuclear option is not even an option. It is a highway exit with no return access or a dead end street with no "U" turns allowed.

China has responded to this melodrama in a coolheaded and patient way. They have even snickered at our immature Rocket Man characterization of King Jong Un. Cool heads will prevail. Someone needs to remind our snake oil salesman of this adage.

[RedSpawn]

Winstonm, on 2017-September-28, 20:56, said:

You do realize that the president can authorize these expenditures, don't you? Just like Putin allows the oligarchs to have their piece of the Russian pie.

https://www.washingt...m=.a9a79c76fcd1

So we are saying that Pruitt had to call President Trump before he took the charter flights that costs thousands more than a traditional train fare? I am not sure about the review and approval process as it relates to travel for federal employees. Who is blessing the expenditure before Pruitt steps foot on the charter plane?

My initial thought is there is a certain "delegation of authority" financial amount Pruitt has to approve expenditures in his department before he has to expressly seek "secondary approval" from another federal executive above him. If the amount of the expenditure is within his delegation of authority assigned to him by the P.O.T.U.S., then he doesn't have to seek additional approval.

This is why I think we need to cut jobs at the federal government AND INCREASE THE staff and budget ASSIGNED TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL who found this messy situation.

Inspector Generals are the ones who pull the curtain back and show us the ugly underbelly of our government system. They create a level of accountability the federal government sorely needs--especially as it crumbles under its own weight of bureaucracy.

[barmar]

RedSpawn, on 2017-September-29, 08:11, said:

So we are saying that Pruitt had to call President Trump before he took the charter flights that costs thousands more than a traditional train fare? I am not sure about the review and approval process as it relates to travel for federal employees. Who is blessing the expenditure before Pruitt steps foot on the charter plane?

I think he's saying that Trump could have approved these expenditures, and if Pruitt had asked he probably would have, and Pruitt just assumed it was OK. But he didn't get the approval, so when it got out he ended up on the wrong end of the scandal. Had he gone through proper channels, it would be on Trump to explain why he approved it.

Most organizations have some policy that says what level of management approval is required for different sizes of expenses.

[Winstonm]

RedSpawn, on 2017-September-29, 08:11, said:

https://www.washingt...m=.a9a79c76fcd1

So we are saying that Pruitt had to call President Trump before he took the charter flights that costs thousands more than a traditional train fare? I am not sure about the review and approval process as it relates to travel for federal employees. Who is blessing the expenditure before Pruitt steps foot on the charter plane?

My initial thought is there is a certain "delegation of authority" financial amount Pruitt has to approve expenditures in his department before he has to expressly seek "secondary approval" from another federal executive above him. If the amount of the expenditure is within his delegation of authority assigned to him by the P.O.T.U.S., then he doesn't have to seek additional approval.

This is why I think we need to cut jobs at the federal government AND INCREASE THE staff and budget ASSIGNED TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL who found this messy situation.

Inspector Generals are the ones who pull the curtain back and show us the ugly underbelly of our government system. They create a level of accountability the federal government sorely needs--especially as it crumbles under its own weight of bureaucracy.

No, what I am saying is that just like the oligarchs in Russia, the people in this administration think and act as if rules and laws do not apply to them. They act as if they were oligarchs because they do not think there will be any repercussions from Trump.

[kenberg]

barmar, on 2017-September-29, 09:02, said:

I think he's saying that Trump could have approved these expenditures, and if Pruitt had asked he probably would have, and Pruitt just assumed it was OK. But he didn't get the approval, so when it got out he ended up on the wrong end of the scandal. Had he gone through proper channels, it would be on Trump to explain why he approved it.

Most organizations have some policy that says what level of management approval is required for different sizes of expenses.

Most organizations have a policy, just as you say. And there is someone to take care of getting it right. A busy person with heavy professional responsibilities may well not have the time or inclination to read all the rules. But s/he doesn't have to. There is someone whose job it is to take care of keeping the busy person on the right side of spending rules. This works only if the busy person cooperates. If the busy person effectively says "Who cares, rules don't apply to me" then stuff happens.

When I had grant money I often did not know exactly what the spending rules were. I did however know how to ask someone whose job it was to know the rules on what I could spend how and what I could not. This is not difficult. It all comes down to whether the person thinks it is important.

[Winstonm]

kenberg, on 2017-September-29, 11:06, said:

Most organizations have a policy, just as you say. And there is someone to take care of getting it right. A busy person with heavy professional responsibilities may well not have the time or inclination to read all the rules. But s/he doesn't have to. There is someone whose job it is to take care of keeping the busy person on the right side of spending rules. This works only if the busy person cooperates. If the busy person effectively says "Who cares, rules don't apply to me" then stuff happens.

When I had grant money I often did not know exactly what the spending rules were. I did however know how to ask someone whose job it was to know the rules on what I could spend how and what I could not. This is not difficult. It all comes down to whether the person thinks it is important.

And the reasons why the government ethics chief and the head of the DEA both resigned is said to be related to this administration's disregard for rules, procedures, and laws.

[jjbrr]

You guys are making it sound as if being incompetent is the worst this administration is guilty of. Please keep things in perspective.

[RedSpawn]

Winstonm, on 2017-September-29, 09:43, said:

No, what I am saying is that just like the oligarchs in Russia, the people in this administration think and act as if rules and laws do not apply to them. They act as if they were oligarchs because they do not think there will be any repercussions from Trump.

https://www.usatoday...ight/716209001/

HHS Secretary Tom Price has resigned from office in disgrace.

[Winstonm]

RedSpawn, on 2017-September-29, 14:55, said:

https://www.usatoday...ight/716209001/

HHS Secretary Tom Price has resigned from office in disgrace.

I guess it wasn't fake news this time around - just really bad news.

[kenberg]

Winstonm, on 2017-September-30, 09:39, said:

I guess it wasn't fake news this time around - just really bad news.

For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

[ggwhiz]

jjbrr, on 2017-September-29, 14:39, said:

You guys are making it sound as if being incompetent is the worst this administration is guilty of. Please keep things in perspective.

How about picking a pissing match with the Mayor of San Juan while American lives are seriously at risk and in some cases already lost.

Even Wall Street has stepped up offering financing that will keep Puerto Rico in servitude much like France did to Haiti for 140+ years. Lend lease to Britain when they were on the ropes, Katrina and this are not your best moments.

[RedSpawn]

kenberg, on 2017-September-30, 09:45, said:

For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Agreed.

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=3QX6DpvPNB0

Here is the priceless video of Tom Price on CNBC saying that the charter jets should not be used by government officials. Hypocrisy at its finest.

[RedSpawn]

http://www.dailymail...-criticism.html

There is something very eerie and strange about how the media has covered Harvey, Irma, and Maria. It almost appears that since there aren't "creature comforts" on Puerto Rico and there are very limited flights to Puerto Rico (and the suffering on the island could be worse than being presented by the government), agencies aren't going to cover the full scope of this tragedy.

No reporter wants to go to an ISLAND with limited gas, very limited electricity, hungry people, very few viable food outlets and very few flights to leave if the sojourn becomes unbearable. We aren't getting the full story on Puerto Rico. Something tells me that FEMA resources are spread as thin as hell between Irma, Harvey, and Maria but the government won't admit it because it has a classic case of plausible deniability. "You're doing one heck of a job, Brownie". Paint some more lipstick on that pig.

[hrothgar]

@ken

There is an interview with TNC coming up on Meet the Press this AM

[Winstonm]

How a real American hero deals with racism:

Quote

Air Force Academy Head Tells Racists to ‘Get Out’ in Impassioned Speech
by PETRA CAHILL


The head of the Air Force Academy gathered 5,500 cadets, faculty, staff and cadet candidates Thursday to deliver a powerful message after racial slurs were found written on message boards at the academy’s preparatory school.

"If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out," Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria told the group at the culmination of a forceful five-minute lecture on the "power of diversity."

Five black cadet candidates at the Academy’s Preparatory School woke up Monday morning to messages saying “go home” followed by an anti-black slur, according to a statement released by the academy.

"If you’re outraged by those words, then you’re in the right place," Silveria told the group in an impassioned speech that was captured on video and shared widely on social media. “That kind of behavior has no place at the Prep School, it has no place at USAFA and has no place in the United States Air Force.”