Patterico's Pontifications

9/10/2019

Another One Bites The Dust: John Bolton Out

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:54 am



[guest post by Dana]

President Trump has fired his national security adviser, claiming that he asked for John Bolton’s resignation last night, and received it this morning:

Minutes ago, Bolton said, whoah, that’s not quite how it happened:

Anyway, it was inevitable. Eventually, they all leave, whether of their initiative or with a little help…

Clearly, the writing has been on the wall:

Back in May, with tensions rising between the U.S. and Iran, Trump’s Fox buddy Tucker Carlson began taking hard shots at him on the air for his hawkishness. It got worse in June when Trump canceled a bombing strike on Iran at the last minute against the advice of Bolton, among others; Carlson took to telling Fox viewers that Bolton was a “bureaucratic tapeworm” and Trump reportedly lamented to a confidant about his own natsec advisors, “These people want to push us into a war, and it’s so disgusting.” A few weeks later, Bolton was conspicuously absent from Trump’s big photo op with Kim Jong Un at the DMZ, having been tasked with a visit to Mongolia at the time instead. (Ironically, Carlson did accompany Trump, albeit as part of Fox’s team.)

Things seemed to deteriorate from there. The most hardcore Republican Bolton critic in Congress, Rand Paul, was deputized by Trump in July to try to broker negotiations with Iran. (Paul is already celebrating Bolton’s termination on Twitter today.)

Bolton was recently sidelined during negotiations concerning Afghanistan, and specifically fear that he might derail plans to negotiate with the Taliban:

As the president’s top aides prepared for a high-stakes meeting on the future of Afghanistan earlier this month, one senior official was not on the original invite list: national security adviser John Bolton.

The attendance of the top security aide would normally be critical, but the omission was no mistake, senior U.S. officials said. Bolton, who has long advocated an expansive military presence around the world, has become a staunch internal foe of an emerging peace deal aimed at ending America’s longest war, the officials said.

His opposition to the diplomatic effort in Afghanistan has irritated President Trump, these officials said, and led aides to leave the National Security Council out of sensitive discussions about the agreement.

Bolton’s influence on the President has diminished over the past few months:

The sidelining of Bolton has raised questions about his influence in an administration that is seeking a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as an ambitious nuclear deal with North Korea and potential engagement with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Bolton, U.S. officials said, stands in opposition to those efforts, but he does so increasingly from the periphery.

“It’s messed up on so many levels that the national security adviser isn’t involved, but trust is a real issue,” said a senior U.S. official, one of a half-dozen who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

No word on who will be Bolton’s replacement.

P.S. Bolton’s determined to have the last word on the matter:

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

168 Responses to “Another One Bites The Dust: John Bolton Out”

  1. Surprising, but not surprising.

    Dana (fdf131)

  2. I don’t see any point in texting oliver darcy, he’s more than the typical blind man,

    narciso (d1f714)

  3. Last one out the door, please turn out the lights.

    noel (e07fb0)

  4. President Warmonger, who will get us into endless wars, lets man go who wants to bomb places.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  5. We need to bomb places, starting with North Korea. Trump is far weaker on foreign policy than Jimmy Carter.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  6. This is too close in time to the Taliban goes to Camp David story. It suggests to me that Bolton’s exit is related to that. Maybe he told Trump he would resign over it or maybe he threatened to leak it. That plus Trump sidelining Bolton in recent weeks could easily lead to Bolton resigning or Trump firing him.

    DRJ (15874d)

  7. Befouling everyone that he fires on twitter makes it much harder to find a replacement and nearly impossible to get a competent one.

    They probably taught that at Wharton. But maybe it was in a book.

    noel (e07fb0)

  8. Who am I going to believe, a man who stood on principle, or a man who lies when the truth would serve him better?

    Kevin M (19357e)

  9. wait for Michael wolf to be the ultimately authority, Reagan followed a similar track with allen, who lasted a little longer than Flynn, and William clark,

    narciso (d1f714)

  10. I suspect it was over the efficacy of the planned talks with the Taliban. I don’t see how any agreement could last given the tribal nature of Afghan society.

    AZ Bob (885937)

  11. Who’s he gonna get now? His foreign policy is toxic to Republicans and he himself is toxic to Democrats. Maybe he’ll just take the job himself. Who needs these pointy-head advisers anyway?

    Kevin M (19357e)

  12. “This is too close in time to the Taliban goes to Camp David story.”

    Sure seems so but everything is so crazy now……the msm talked more about the sharpie than the hurricane.

    harkin (4a7319)

  13. I thought you quit the party over mexico gate, kevin, I’ll not panic yet, I don’t need to set my hair on fire,

    narciso (d1f714)

  14. “Twitter”. How did they come up with that?

    twit

    /twit/
    nounINFORMAL•BRITISH
    a silly or foolish person.
    synonyms: fool, idiot, as5, halfwit, nincompoop, blockhead, buffoon, dunce, dolt, ignoramus, cretin, imbecile, dullard, moron, simpleton, clod;

    noel (e07fb0)

  15. President Warmonger, who will get us into endless wars, lets man go who wants to bomb places.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 9/10/2019 @ 10:12 am

    You’re right, The difference between how he talked about foreign policy on the campaign trail and how hes’ governed has been notable. His earlier rhetoric was very aggressive and militaristic. See the comments on NK for an example. But you’re right he hasn’t done those things.

    Time123 (66d88c)

  16. “This is too close in time to the Taliban goes to Camp David story.”

    Sure seems so but everything is so crazy now……the msm talked more about the sharpie than the hurricane.

    harkin (4a7319) — 9/10/2019 @ 10:26 am

    They talk about what he talks about…it’s like 2 blind hippo’s trying to waltz. No one’s in charge and no matter where you look it’s ugly and everything stinks.

    Time123 (66d88c)

  17. Bolton says he offered to resign (presumably because Trump was not listening to his advice) and Trump said let’s talk about it tomorrow. Trump says he not only decided last night (which would be consistent with what Bolton said since he could have told him that his services are no longer needed after Bolton offered to resign) but told Bolton last night. Which would not be consistent with what Bolton said.

    Bolton is insisting he resigned. This is probably true or close to the truth.

    Does Trump feel such a need to show that he is in charge?

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  18. Trump says he fired Bolton last night, Bolton lead the White House principles meeting this morning, in the White House. Then Trump tweeted that he’d fired Bolton last night…which was news to all the people in the room in the White House that were in a meeting with Bolton, at that very time.

    It’s almost like Trump thinks he did a thing, but didn’t do the thing, but hey, he’s never fired a real person, his tough guy persona was always fake, and he’s a moron, so he probably didn’t know he did, r didn’t, fire Bolton. So he tweeted it like a #PABOTUS.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (6e7a1c)

  19. It’s hilarious Trump even tried the sharpie thing. It’s disturbing that Trump was loving on the Taliban, but reminds the nation of when his reaction to 9/11 was to brag he had the tallest building in New York now. His praise of North Korea and sharing intel with the Russians are worse. His Carter stance on Iran is bizarre even by his own views.

    This is a president who has no idea what he’s doing or what’s going on, but desperately needs to pretend the failures are deliberate successes.

    Trump bragged so much about Hillary’s foreign policy chops. If he started taking her advice it would actually be a big improvement.

    Dustin (6d7686)

  20. I suspect Bolton may have said that Trump was of “limited cognitive ability” for thinking that hosting Taliban terrorists at Camp David was a good idea.

    Paul Montagu (a915a7)

  21. Well said. Remember also that Trump cheered the housing collapse. This is a man tho does not give one single sht for anyone but himself.

    JRH (52aed3)

  22. Dustin — it irks me somewhat that (a) Trump loudly criticized Obama for talking to the Taliban, but (b) attempted to talk to the Taliban himself, while (c) his fans insist that he was right about both.

    aphrael (e0cdc9)

  23. Are people being moderated without being told that they are being moderated or why they are being moderated?

    Testy (894877)

  24. No decent person with any self-respect works for Trump for very long.

    nk (dbc370)

  25. So, according to Trump he asked Bolton for his resignation last night, and he got it this moening. Do things work that way?

    Sometimes, when the resignation can take effect in a week, or in a month.

    Trump clearly decided this morning. And then had it take effect imediately.

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  26. Testy comments from new ppl or comments with links often go into moderation.

    Time123 (306531)

  27. And if his paramours are anything to go by, a lot of indecent persons don’t, either.

    nk (dbc370)

  28. Testy,

    No.

    Dana (9c29f0)

  29. Dustin — it irks me somewhat that (a) Trump loudly criticized Obama for talking to the Taliban, but (b) attempted to talk to the Taliban himself, while (c) his fans insist that he was right about both.

    aphrael

    It is annoying. Of course, it’s not a rational argument, it’s a personal one. There is a deep emotional investment in the true Trump believer at this point. They are more angry at disloyal republicans than anybody else, because that’s where they are most exposed for hypocrisy. These are the sorts of guys in Russia and China supporting their leaders lining up the press and shooting them. It could happen here if things dial up one or two more notches. There are commenters here who would cheer.

    Dustin (6d7686)

  30. Testy, that “Comment Moderation is Enabled” message at the bottom is not specific to you or anybody else.

    Dustin (6d7686)

  31. John walked warily down the hall
    With his mustache trimmed just right
    Ain’t no sound but the sound of his feet,
    Just jonesin’ for a fight
    Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this?
    Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
    Out of the orange head the pink slip comes
    In the guise of a tweet
    Another one bites the dust
    Another one bites the dust
    And another one gone, and another one gone
    Another one bites the dust
    Hey, he’s gonna get Wray, too
    Another one bites the dust

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  32. Dana,

    Yes.

    I’m Ptw. Had to create a new ID. My last several posts, from different computers on different threads, have gone straight to moderation. No one explained why.

    Testy (894877)

  33. One did come out though a week or so ago. But that was it. Just one.

    Testy (894877)

  34. Lots of respect to Bolton and I loved his work in the UN. I hope that Trump doesn’t surround himself with doves and let them determine foreign policy. Having different viewpoints is critical to a successful foreign policy.

    No clue who is going to replace Bolton.

    NJRob (4d595c)

  35. PTw(894877) — 9/10/2019 @ 9:57 am Your comment is awaiting moderation
    Amongst others

    Testy (894877)

  36. ‘ow mucha you bet that he’s keeping Pence as his running mate because Nikki Haley told him to go find Alabama?

    nk (dbc370)

  37. They talk about what he talks about…

    Exactly. If they’d just let Trump hang himself IMO he’d have zero chance of re-election. But they just can’t resist showing the American people (plus all the other voters) that their side is probably worse.

    harkin (4a7319)

  38. Dustin — it irks me somewhat that (a) Trump loudly criticized Obama for talking to the Taliban, but (b) attempted to talk to the Taliban himself, while (c) his fans insist that he was right about both.

    aphrael (e0cdc9) — 9/10/2019 @ 10:53 am

    I’ve been accused of being a fan, but I think it’s beyond foolish to bring the Taliban to Camp David and engage in negotiations with them. They are tribal, Islamic fanatics that just want to subjugate people to their will. The Afghan people must deal with them, we don’t need to do the same.

    NJRob (4d595c)

  39. 5:
    Bomb NoKo huh? Just out of curiosity, what might China say/do about that?
    And if NoKo lobs a few at the West Coast, what happens then?
    If NoKo invades SoKo, what then?
    (Your last name isn’t Lemay or McNamara, is it?)

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  40. All they have to do is not act crazy, but alas…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  41. 22:

    I believe he noted that the “housing boom” based on no credit checks, adjustable rates, and house flipping was not sustainable and had to end. You’ll find most sober economists said the same thing.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  42. 41… heh… Kevin’s wrong, of course.

    But, for the most part, so have Trump’s actions vis-à-vis North Korea.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  43. Well he threatened “fire and fury’ they didmt like that either, the framework made the problem much worse, and then aq khan stepped into the picture, bolton tried to renegotiate the deal, but rice wouldnt hear of it.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  44. Walrus Gumbo off menu in White House Mess.

    Thank you, Mr. President.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  45. 44: not sure what to do: NoKo evaded sanctions enough to build its rockets; the EU is no help, unless we want a legion of baguette munchers; China is little help; NOKO grows more nuclear by the day, and bombing it seems out (except to Bolton).

    Having NoKo as a glowering hostile power that we don’t talk to seems naive too. What to do? One option is to try to engage them, however naïve that may seem. What the alternative? Another 20 year standoff?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  46. Testy (894877) — 9/10/2019 @ 11:17 am

    The fact that your comments getting through have the same hash code (894877) as the ones being moderated suggests that it’s not because of your IP address.

    Posts with more than 4 hyperlinks are automatically moderated. There are also a variety of words (some obvious profanity and others more innocuous, for historical reasons) that trigger moderation.

    Dave (1bb933)

  47. Allahpundit:

    If a super-hawk natsec advisor and an isolationist autocrat-hugging president can’t make it work in this topsy turvy world, what hope do the rest of us have?

    Also: “I will have my say in due course.”

    Don’t mess with the ‘stache.

    Dave (1bb933)

  48. Testy,

    I’ll look into it.

    Dana (9c29f0)

  49. Dave,
    Yeah, I put up one post with a link in it during the Hurricane. It was very interesting but y’all missed out. The link (FB) is now private, so whatever. No profanity that I recall. How about we just let Dana handle it. Unless you work here too.

    Testy (894877)

  50. boosh toady goes buh bye
    barr another toady, hopefully will be next

    mg (8cbc69)

  51. No one’s in charge and no matter where you look it’s ugly and everything stinks.

    Another damn optimist. Trump is in charge.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  52. “What the alternative?”

    Pallets of cash and isotope separation.

    harkin (58d012)

  53. When the Taliban tries to acquire a nuke, I hope we dust off the Clinton/Bush/Obama NoKo archives to enlighten us on how best to handle it.

    Munroe (f4989a)

  54. This is so difficult for me.

    On the one had I despise Trump, his enablers, his minions in and out of office.

    On the other hand, no one sane is willing to offer themselves as an alternative. The next election is going to be a loud, obese, insane fool vs a communist.

    Will no one bell this cat?

    Kevin M (19357e)

  55. Testy/Ptw,

    I released the comments that were in moderation. There was no profanity, nor too many links, so I’m not sure why they were caught in the filter. Post only under the Ptw handle and we can see if that works now.

    Dana (fdf131)

  56. Kevin M,

    I heard rumors about a possible Fiorina run, but then she put the kibosh on it yesterday.

    Dana (fdf131)

  57. Note that the political alignments Trump created, and many of the policies that he has pursued are useful. The old free-traders vs liberal-statists thing is over. Some of the Democrats are clued in, although the eventual nominee won’t be.

    But Trump is his own worst enemy regiment. He is incapable of any kind of action or follow-through and he cuts his minions off at the knees as they attempt to do what he asks. North Korea is a perfect example of this, going back several years.

    If only there were a Republican who would take Trump on as “the Man Who Can” vs “the Man Who Can’t.”

    Kevin M (19357e)

  58. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 9/10/2019 @ 11:20 am

    5:
    Bomb NoKo huh? Just out of curiosity, what might China say/do about that?

    Nothing.

    If they were going to do anything, they would have done it already. No provocation is required.

    They would do nothing. Except, after making athreat or two, and seeing it ignored, they would maybe get very reasonable and try to stop the United States from destroying the North Korean regime entirely, maybe by asking to take care of the problem themselves.

    And if NoKo lobs a few at the West Coast, what happens then

    If they lob a few at the West Coast, they likely would have lobbed it anyway. But they are less likely to do so AFTER being bombed than before being bombed.

    Just the opposite of the way people have been trained to think.

    If NoKo invades SoKo, what then?

    Why should North Korea do that?

    If they are not deterred before a (non-regime ending) bombing, why should they not be deterred after it? Would they be militarily stronger?

    So you believe it is anything but an asssessment of the balance of power that is stopping North Korea from doing it now?

    Do you think such a regime works on the basis of emotion? I don’t.

    Did Pakistan and al Qaeda (but I repeat myself) try for some more after we bombed Afghanistan in 2001??

    Now after the Cole they did because it looked like they could calibrate what would happen.

    If North Korea attempts to invade South Korea they would have done it anyway very soon, only it will be more of a failure.

    47. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 9/10/2019 @ 11:50 am

    Having NoKo as a glowering hostile power that we don’t talk to seems naive too. What to do? One option is to try to engage them, however naïve that may seem. What the alternative Another 20 year standoff?

    Talking to them is not a viable alternative, if there’s nothing else going on and you hope to solve the problem. Just because Plan A or B or C won’t work, doesn’t mean stupid plan D has to.

    The basic point is, a resolution through peaceful negotiations, with North Korea, with Iran, with al Qaeda, with the Taliban is a non-starter.

    And if that assesseemnt is wrong, it shouldn’t take more than afew weeks to find out.

    And they should be the ones asking for talks.

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  59. A Republican who takes Trump on on policy is going to lose. The base wants illegals sent home, jobs brought back, and restoring the value of citizenship.

    But a Republican who takes Trump on on the basis of ability, without too much status quo ante baggage, is going to get some play.

    Still, “you come at the king, you best not miss.”

    Kevin M (19357e)

  60. Bolton’s resignation letter here, and dated today.

    Dana (fdf131)

  61. Sammy, North Korea HAVING nuclear weapons is already well past intolerable. It makes the idea off non-proliferation a joke and 20 years for now there will be 23 nuclear powers. At that point it is only when, not if.

    Who cares about what NK might DO with them?

    Kevin M (19357e)

  62. Dana (fdf131) — 9/10/2019 @ 12:29 pm

    ‘K. Thx.

    PTw (894877)

  63. ‘I will have my say in due course.’

    It’s all been said a done, Gumbo; given your moth-to-a-flame-crave to be close to power, your Walrus-azz wuz fired.

    Back to Fox and RedEye… oh wait; that got cancelled, too.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  64. Iran is actively building a bomb, announcing it step by step and waiting to see if there is any pushback. Trump does nothing. Netanyahu says nothing (this may change after the election). Iran is also watching NK, and finding the coast clear there, too.

    Worst foreign policy since Buchanan let the Seceded South build an Army.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  65. Mattis/Bolton 2020.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  66. 47… yes, between Iraq and a hard place. Mebbe more carrot and much more stick.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  67. Yeah, it happened again.

    Testy (894877)

  68. The base wants illegals sent home,

    Not gonna happen, except at the margins.

    jobs brought back,

    Unemployment is 4%, and wasn’t much higher when he was nominated/elected.

    Jobs where you do a robot’s work for an engineer’s pay won’t be a thing no matter what any demagogue says.

    and restoring the value of citizenship.

    “The value of citizenship” is the freedom we all have.

    The government’s job is to protect opportunity, not guarantee outcomes.

    Dave (1bb933)

  69. A Republican who takes Trump on on policy is going to lose.“

    The media have made too many voters believe that the only way to fight the Hate America Cancel Culture Socialist Confiscation Crew is to counter crazy w crazy.

    I’m now leaning toward “sane ain’t makin no comeback”.

    And it didn’t start w Orange Man.

    harkin (58d012)

  70. Mattis/Bolton 2020.

    If only.

    I do think you’re right, though, that a policy wonk in the mold of Ted Cruz would not fare any better against Trump than he did in 2016.

    Dave (1bb933)

  71. HFM @ 41, in re NK lobbing a few, Trump might be invoking a version of the James Baker/1992 argument – “they (HI, CA, WA, OR) dont vote for us anyway and their judges are even worse”.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  72. Cruz might, IF he adapted to the new alignment. Trump has done to the 6th party system what Jackson did to the first one. An open-borders open-trade globalist is going to have a hard time in the near future, Trump or no Trump.

    And the destruction is even more complete in the Democrat Party, where an actual Marxist-Leninist Communist is a first tier candidate and his main non-senile alternative is pretty pink herself.

    We are in a political subduction zone.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  73. mittens/gruber/2020 and beyond…..

    mg (8cbc69)

  74. Dave, those are not the perceptions. When an illegal alien is released for crimes a citizen is prosecuted for, due to fear the INS will deport him, something is desperately wrong. Even if that doens’t happen a lot, it happens some (and a lot in some places), and the perception becomes reality.

    If a sizable number of illegals are not deported, we have defacto open borders and can say goodbye to the rule of law once and for all. Changing a law to pretend the law still rules is pathetic.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  75. In the lamestream media, Bolton transitions from a mustachioed warmonger to a valuable,sober, seasoned advisor in 3-2-1…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  76. The only saving grace is that Trump’s foreign policy has not gotten the acceptance his economic policies have. He campaigned on quite a different foreign policy, and if he loses in 2020, it will be because he changed so drastically here. Then again, the Democrats are no better.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  77. Bolton wanted a war. Is that asking too much?

    Munroe (732181)

  78. 73, Kevin – that turnaround would be rather easy to demonstrate if Cruz wasnt a “Cruz” and his wife never set foot in an investment bank.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  79. If you’d describe alignment with America’s arguable enemies as equal to an inconsistent and “never been done this way” approach, yes, no better.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  80. I don’t think Bolton really expected to last. He was taking it day to day, week to week, month to month. Thatis indicated by the readiness in which he offered to resign.

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  81. in TRUMP’s defense, he was only uttering his famous catch-phrase. Bolton was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    JRH (52aed3)

  82. Oh, good Lord – Sebastian Gorka?

    I can see Trump doing that.

    Dana (fdf131)

  83. Robert Costa:

    Ambassador Bolton to me just now: “I will have my say in due course. But I have given you the facts on the resignation. My sole concern is US national security.”

    9:26 AM – 10 Sep 2019

    Dana (fdf131)

  84. Out: Bolton never met a war he didn’t like.

    In: Bolton is woke as “F”!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  85. oh that would be dialing to eleven, lol,

    narciso (d1f714)

  86. is everyone a nest of vipers, coronello, there.

    narciso (d1f714)

  87. Even trump can’t stand that nazi, neo-con, vietnam war draft dodger and war monger bolton. who always lets other people do his fighting for him.

    lany (68b406)

  88. Bolton will become a lobbyist for some arms dealer.

    mg (8cbc69)

  89. Every time I read a moronic comment, I see “lany” after it. I’m starting to believe there’s a correlation.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  90. Most of you, never cared for Bolton then, so I’m not convinced by the agita now, as pointed out earlier, multiple national security advisors are not unheard of, in the last administration, you had general jones as the figurehead for McDonough and Rhodes, at the same pay scale, yet they couldn’t figure out the instructions on a boot,

    narciso (d1f714)

  91. What I find maddening about Trump is that, on policy, he is more right than wrong, much more. But then he wraps it in so much buffoonery, arrogance, mistreatment of others and overall nacrissism, that it is galling to watch him. It’s like giving someone a delicious piece of filet mignon, and then wrapping it with a piece of paper dipped in filthy garbage.

    Take Afghanistan. After 20 years we need to get out. Trump is right, and all the experts are wrong, IMO. And, I don’t believe that someone else — be it Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush — would pay any attention.

    But then he has to invite the Taliban to Camp David and look like a fool.

    Same with Bolton. I admire the man, but Trump is right. We don’t want a war with Iran. Sanctions yes, war no. Bombing Iran would be a big mistake.

    So if you cannot agree, Bolton has to leave. But then do it in a respectable way, not Tweeing silly childishness all over social media.

    In the end, I may be forced to vote for him on policy. On policy, he is far preferable to, say, Elizabeth Warren, let alone the other nut jobs that are running.

    But boy will I have to hold my nose while doing it.

    Bored Lawyer (998177)

  92. POTUS asks for your resignation = you’re fired. Back to weekend morning Fox & Friends, Gumbo.
    _____

    OT- ROFLMAO comedy line of the day on MTP Daily at sign-off as interview of GOP primary challenger ends: “… Mark Sanford, thank you very much. Stay safe on the Trail.” – Chuck Todd, NBC News, MTP Daily, 9/10/19

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  93. Fine you don’t hold it at camp david, which would be the most secure spot, so you hold in any of the gulf states, in Europe, it’s really a non starter, the other alternative is to pull out without consultation, with the host government, see Vietnam 1975 to note the folly there, or Lebanon 2000, after 18 years of Israeli

    narciso (d1f714)

  94. It’s like giving someone a delicious piece of filet mignon, and then wrapping it with a piece of paper dipped in filthy garbage.

    In WW2, all the best beef went to the armed forces, who generally boiled it.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  95. You don’t NEED a war with Iran. You need one with North Korea. The Iranians will get the message.

    As it stands, though, by refraining from taking out NK’s nuclear capability, Iran will attempt to build their bomb and the war will get started by Netanyahu after he wins his election.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  96. this is of course the problem with going to war with a nuclear power, even if they have a relatively small complement of weapons,

    narciso (d1f714)

  97. “President” Walrus Gumbo:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH3zw3QmS8

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  98. 96… I’ll always remember Election Night 2016, and the tears shed by Chuckie Todd and his panel when they finally realized Hillary Clinton was defeated. The overwrought sadness, frantic gnashing of teeth and – most of all – the look in their eyes was ever so sweet and I shamelessly luxuriated in the moment.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  99. As with rick sanchez, now at rt, with an almost copacetic mien, f chuck was a south florida native, till he was unleashed on the nation, removing all doubt on an hourly basis,

    narciso (d1f714)

  100. Perhaps we could get some modern day Howard Zinn to write “The people’s History of North Korea.” give them 15 years and they’ll be done for

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  101. now bruce cumings already did it, it blames the Korean war on hearst, gold miners, and the new York herald tribune (I’m not making it up)

    narciso (d1f714)

  102. Hey, narciso… I see that someone at the Althouse blog has suggested that the replacement for Bolton will be Michael Flynn, once Judge Sullivan dismisses all charges, lol.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  103. Yes, but I think judge Sullivan stuck his hand out once, he’s not willing to do it again,

    narciso (d1f714)

  104. Bolton matched Trumps image of having a muscular foreign policy. He didn’t match Trumps real foreign policy. At some point the image has to give way to the reality.

    Nic (896fdf)

  105. Perusing the clickbaits. The Left is gleeful because they’ve always hated Bolton. The Trumpkins looking for reasons to hate Bolton because they love everything Trump does. Pitiful.

    nk (dbc370)

  106. “Mattis/Bolton 2020”

    We could do much worse, and have.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  107. Mattis/Cruz even better.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  108. So this isn’t the worst firing Trump has done.
    Yes it wasn’t f2f.
    Yes Trump appears to have lied about the circumstances.
    Yes it was needlessly rude and disrespectful to the employee.

    BUT Trump has not yet gone on TV and told the american public that he fired Bolton in part to stop a lawful investigation into a crime that Trump personally benefited from.

    That one will be really hard to top.

    Time123 (b53270)

  109. Like everyone else, I await with bated breath Trump’s tweets of the morrow clarifying just what sort of failed pathetic loser with low ratings John Bolton is. And yet, I still expect to be disappointed to find Trump sadly is no closer to solving the mystery of just who it is that’s responsible for hiring these sad pathetic losers Trump seems to find himself surrounded by. Perhaps William Barr may get to the bottom of this mystery in the short time he has before he too is unmasked as a sad pathetic loser. (Spoiler alert: Barr’s October surprise is going to be that he has no intention of stirring the pudding at the DoJ. Barr knows the old bureaucratic axiom: It’s not wise to make waves when you’re neck deep in the [redacted]. Some of us are not going to be quite as surprised as others of us may be.)

    Jerryskids (702a61)

  110. 115… just how much of an asshole does Comey have to prove himself to be to register with you?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  111. CH, Comey is a complete asshole. He could have been fired by Obama. (Although I think an IG investigation into the Handling of the Clinton email server would have been and is still more appropriate)

    He should have been fired when Trump was sworn in.

    I’m 100% fine that he isn’t in charge of the FBI. But firing the head of FBI, even one that had it coming, because you wanted to stop an investigation, isn’t OK.

    Not asking you to agree with me, but do you get where i’m coming from?

    Time123 (b53270)

  112. And who could have done it, there was no atty ti the end of january, sally yates was removed but like a zombie you need to cut the head next.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  113. Nk, 112 _ it’s the main reason a grand alliance has a snowball’s chance in hell. You got to —- the king and gather the spoils before you fight over them.

    urbanleftbehind (5aa563)

  114. You wasted time miscasting Johnny Carson/white haired Smothers Brother as AG instead of DHS.

    urbanleftbehind (5aa563)

  115. Let me turn it around.

    If Obama had announced in December that he was ordering an IG report on Comey publicly making a recommendation not to prosecute and on Comey’s decision to make a statement beyond “We will not recommend changes.” That could be argued to be appropriate. Many people would think it was a pretext for a retaliatory investigation but there are good faith arguments for it.

    If Obama than made statements on camera that it was to send a message interfering with a Dem campaign it would very hard to argue that the investigation was appropriate and in good faith.

    Basically motive matters and firing an Asshole who has it coming for the wrong reason isn’t OK.

    Time123 (b53270)

  116. Obama got away with running guns to the cartels, with using the agencies of state to crush political opposition, with covering up the assasination of an ambassador by al queda operatives, he hasnt been held accountable and probably never will,

    Narciso (9b9220)

  117. 103: Martha Radditz tearing up . . .

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  118. 116… I think you will be disappointed and more than a little surprised by the next two reports.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  119. He uses the justice department to pour gasoline on two cities and watch them burn, the media was in lockstep providinf the fiddles, yet people have their head up their (redacted) musing over an 8 day old weather forecast.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  120. I dont know coronello, the nureaucracy cant stop san bernardino or orlando or las vegas or parkland, but they are tops in covering their backside.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  121. Speaking of biting the dust……

    Oberlin College denied new trial in Gibson’s Bakery case

    https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/09/oberlin-college-denied-new-trial-in-gibsons-bakery-case/
    _

    harkin (58d012)

  122. Our foreign policy over the course of four terms of Trump’s predecessors was absolutely atrocious, no thought given to China.
    That needs to change. We need to leverage our strength as a quarter of the world’s GDP, make the hard decisions on where we need to apply force, spend our resources.

    Enough with acting as the world’s policeman.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  123. A post-trial motion is usually required after a jury trial to preserve the right to appeal.

    nk (dbc370)

  124. this is of course the problem with going to war with a nuclear power, even if they have a relatively small complement of weapons,

    We had 20 years to deal with it beforehand. We didn’t. Please explain how waiting any longer makes it better.

    The only REAL difference: prior to NK getting nukes (no, not our nk), we were prevented by treaty from using nukes against them. Now we are not. The point really needs to be made that a country does NOT improve its national security by seeking nuclear weapons. Quite the contrary.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  125. Most of you, never cared for Bolton then

    I guess I’m not “most” then.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  126. He should have been fired when Trump was sworn in.

    Well, he probably should have waited until the Inauguration Speech started.

    Kevin M (19357e)

  127. mittens/bolton/2020

    mg (8cbc69)

  128. North Carolinians sent a bellwether message to the never Trump herd, flock.

    mg (8cbc69)

  129. Our foreign policy over the course of four terms of Trump’s predecessors was absolutely atrocious, no thought given to China.
    That needs to change. We need to leverage our strength as a quarter of the world’s GDP, make the hard decisions on where we need to apply force, spend our resources.

    Enough with acting as the world’s policeman.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 9/10/2019 @ 7:22 pm

    That’s a silly claim from a defense standpoint, but I assume you’re including trade, in which case it’s still a silly claim. For crying out loud, the TPP was explicitly intended to create a trade union of China’s neighbors so that it would be easier to pressure China into reforms we wanted. You can argue that it wasn’t a good strategy but it was a strategy.

    Time123 (66d88c)

  130. North Carolinians sent a bellwether message to the never Trump herd, flock.

    Are you talking about the race they almost lost in a district Trump carried by 12 points?

    Time123 (66d88c)

  131. What is that message anyway?

    Safe Districts are now in play because Trump is a buffoon?
    Safe Districts are still safe despite Trump?
    Safe Districts will slip when Trump isn’t on the ballot?

    Which message did it send exactly? I haven’t followed it much but looks like a Rorschach test to me.

    Time123 (66d88c)

  132. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.

    nk (dbc370)

  133. In other words, empty trains today and next week on my Metra route, nk? Thought that was at the end of this month.

    (Consults Google)

    For whom?

    urbanleftbehind (522296)

  134. The GOP has a big problem in the suburbs, the Dems have a big problem in the rural areas. in NC, and everywhere. Trump’s a formidable cat anyway you slice it.

    JRH (52aed3)

  135. Yes, Trump makes a formidable presence on the ballot, any congressional district that Republicans hold that have been ~R+10 are now a toss up.

    Is this a new normal, or just a new Trump normal, we’ll soon know, but the house may have turned perennially blue due to Trump having pushed out all minorities, and 2/3rds of white women. An R can still win in a safe district, but it needs to look more like NC9 than NC3.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (6e7a1c)

  136. “Forgetfulness occurs when those who have been long inured to civilized order can no longer remember a time in which they had to wonder whether their crops would grow to maturity without being stolen or their children sold into slavery by a victorious foe…

    They forget that in time of danger, in the face of the Enemy, they must trust and confide in each other, or perish… they forget, in short, that there has ever been a category of human experience called the Enemy. And that, before 9/11, was what had happened to us. The very concept of the Enemy had been banished from our moral and political vocabulary. An enemy was just a friend we hadn’t done enough for — yet. Or perhaps there had been a misunderstanding, or an oversight on our part — something that we could correct. And this means that that our first task is that we must try to grasp what the concept of the Enemy really means.

    The Enemy is someone who is willing to die in order to kill you. And while it is true that the Enemy always hates us for a reason — it is his reason, and not ours.”

    —- Lee Harris

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  137. 118.

    Time123 (b53270) — 9/10/2019 @ 6:29 pm

    But firing the head of FBI, even one that had it coming, because you wanted to stop an investigation, isn’t OK.

    What if it;s a uncalled for, or a probably unfair, innvestigation?

    It wasn’t to stop an investigaton of himself, because Comey told Trump he was not under
    investigation. (the criminal investigation of Trump was started by FBI depuuty deirector
    Andrew McCabe after FBI Director James Comey was fired, with the basis being that it was possibly a crime.)

    And also, the firing, by itself, did not and could not stop an investigation, (putting a person in charge who was determined to prevent one would) but possibly would stop a biased and
    uncalled for investigation.

    Presdient Clinton planned way ahead. He got Janet Reno to try to make sure nothing would happen to him and made it look like her appointment was an accident.)

    Sammy Finkelman (8dcc71)

  138. America is Babylon, urbanleftbehind. Polyglot. Mercenary. Immoral. Grandiose. Decadent. We even have a red-headed w**re riding a beast into the White House.

    The armies of Evil, Democrats and Trumpkins, are arrayed against each other. We must keep out faith and not allow ourselves to be drawn into their ranks if we are to be saved.

    He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Revelations 13:10 (KJV)

    Good has no armies.

    nk (dbc370)

  139. I so much regret the one time I expressed sympathy for Carlson Tucker (when the freaks invaded his home). What a disgusting little worm, a creepy Trump pimp: https://www.foxnews.com/media/tucker-hails-firing-of-john-bolton-he-was-fundamentally-a-man-of-the-left

    nk (dbc370)

  140. “18 years have passed since airplanes took aim and brought down the World Trade Center.”

    —- a New York Times tweet this morning, condemning those dastardly airplanes

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  141. #118 CH, Comey is a complete asshole. He could have been fired by Obama. (Although I think an IG investigation into the Handling of the Clinton email server would have been and is still more appropriate)

    He should have been fired when Trump was sworn in.

    I’m 100% fine that he isn’t in charge of the FBI. But firing the head of FBI, even one that had it coming, because you wanted to stop an investigation, isn’t OK.

    Not asking you to agree with me, but do you get where i’m coming from?

    Time123 (b53270) — 9/10/2019 @ 6:29 pm

    But firing the head of FBI, even one that had it coming, because you wanted to stop an investigation, isn’t OK.

    Not OK politically…ever? Or in this case?

    The reason why I ask is that the President is the literal head of the executive branch(see the Executive Unitary Theory). There’s no ‘separation of powers’ between the FBI/DOJ and the POTUS. There are policies that is designed to mitigate undue influence between the POTUS and the FBI/DOJ in a general sense. But, there’s nothing stopping a POTUS from exerting his powers to formally stop any investigation. (this power, however, doesn’t shield the POTUS from classic obstruction, ie witness tampering, bribing, etc…)

    The “check” against malfeasance here is political: voting for/against him the next time or Congressional impeachment.

    Or, is it in the case, you didn’t think it was okay because of the Russian investigations?

    #122 Let me turn it around.

    If Obama had announced in December that he was ordering an IG report on Comey publicly making a recommendation not to prosecute and on Comey’s decision to make a statement beyond “We will not recommend changes.” That could be argued to be appropriate. Many people would think it was a pretext for a retaliatory investigation but there are good faith arguments for it.

    If Obama than made statements on camera that it was to send a message interfering with a Dem campaign it would very hard to argue that the investigation was appropriate and in good faith.

    Basically motive matters and firing an Asshole who has it coming for the wrong reason isn’t OK.

    Time123 (b53270) — 9/10/2019 @ 6:38 pm

    Erm… what’s your opinion of Obama essentially exonerating Clinton publicly on national television during the election?

    whembly (fd57f6)

  142. Dont worry, nk…methinks Tucker Carlson is on track for a Howard Beale moment…the one at the endof that movie.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  143. No similar condemnation of the bad airplane that hit the Pentagon?

    Kevin M (19357e)

  144. Well, if my other social media interfaces are correct, Trump through his strange foreign policy overtures (or 9th degree chess) has gotten the left side of the ledger to “never forget” with closed fist.

    And remember, theres a significant Venn Diagram overlap of divergent tribes who wont weep for the Pentagon (commies, anti-military, peaceniks, isolationists, anti-Military Industrial Complex etc.)

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  145. Some airplanes did something.

    Munroe (732181)

  146. The tweet has been deleted, or so I’ve read.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  147. There’s a sickness, munroe, some people noticed and called it out long ago. Others have been distracted to madness by the color orange.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  148. The odd thing is the times grovels automatically, sarah jeong probably approves

    Narciso (9b9220)

  149. @146. Tucka never did know his left from his right.

    @5. No. See London, Tokyo, Berlin and Hanoi for details.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  150. Immigration and indoctrination is dissolving the country you grew up in, but please more two minute hate.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  151. Its been a long war, like the illiad and the odyssey combined, except theres actually a trojan friendship society.

    Narciso (9b9220)

  152. Heh! Not keep *out* faith, keep *our* faith. Dam’ ol’ age.

    nk (dbc370)

  153. Erm… what’s your opinion of Obama essentially exonerating Clinton publicly on national television during the election?

    I thought it was a shitty thing to do for the little I thought about it. I wasn’t very interested in his thoughts on the matter and there wasn’t much chance I was going vote Clinton.

    Time123 (f5cf77)

  154. 137 – bellwether is the term never trumpers would have used if the seat was lost. It happens to be sarcasm on my part. But by all means school me on your logistics. I’m not sure but the democrats had a couple years to come up with the loser they did.

    mg (8cbc69)

  155. In effect we say “some people did something” every time we accept a load of cash from the Saudis.

    JRH (52aed3)

  156. 131. Kevin M (19357e) — 9/10/2019 @ 11:43 pm

    The point really needs to be made that a country does NOT improve its national security by seeking nuclear weapons.

    I think North Korea – under all 3 Kims – knows and knew that. We were already deterred from taking any military action to overthrow North Korea by the bloodshed invo;ved and by their threat on Seoul.

    But improving it’s security was not what North Korea was tryin to do.

    North Korea was working on a plan to conquer South Korea. And the calculation was that if anuclear bomb was used someplace else than on he territory of the United States, the Uno=ited States would be detered from using nuclear weapons, and, because it would not want to expose its troops toradiaton, deterred also fron effectively defending South Korea.

    Sammy Finkelman (8dcc71)

  157. 136… “That’s a silly claim from a defense standpoint, but I assume you’re including trade, in which case it’s still a silly claim. For crying out loud, the TPP was explicitly intended to create a trade union of China’s neighbors so that it would be easier to pressure China into reforms we wanted. You can argue that it wasn’t a good strategy but it was a strategy.”

    Another case of good intentions, extremely schitty results. At best.

    https://strategypage.com/on_point/20190910202957.aspx

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  158. Trump is utter chaos on foreign policy. D.GOOCH

    GOOCH (d83d3a)

  159. So, uh, two days after Trump sacks a hardliner who likes the idea of sanctioning Mullahs, this president likes the idea of giving the Mullahs a $15 billion bailout to those same Mullahs. Funny how Trump consistently acquiesces to dictators but gives free nations and allies a hard time. What’s with that?

    Paul Montagu (dfd657)


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