So Collins doesn’t know if Pulte has any intelligence expertise. Isn’t it her job to do research and be informed about nominees? Or is this just part of her being concerned but little else?
That is why the MAGAs are the modern day equivalent of the Know Nothing party. Starting at the top with Trump, they feign ignorance of anything that they have given their jobs to know.
Collins will be "concerned" about Pulte. Just like she will be "concerned" about Blanche for Attorney General. But in the end, she will give Trump what he wants.
I share your cynicism about her… but i also get that a senator can make a speculative remark in the hallway, no homework done. That remark of hers is more meaty than most of hers and as we know that’s not saying much.
I am not a Collins fan by any means, but she did NOT say she doesn't know if he has any intelligence expertise. She DID say she doesn't know if he even has a SECURITY CLEARANCE. Big difference here.
We heard the same performative 'outrage' about Trump's cop beater slush fund, but did any republicans vote for the budget amendment that would have killed it? NO! I'm not holding out false hope that they'll grow a backbone now.
Lesley Groff worked closely with Epstein for more than 18 years. Her name appears 130,000 times in the Epstein files. She will appear today before the House Oversight Epstein committee.
How many contacts did she make for Epstein and who were they? How many contacts with Trump?
Low approval ratings may gall trump, but being the fascist authoritarian he is he does not care. His one goal is to rewrite the history of J6, his impeachment, his various fraudulent business practices, his sicko sexual predations in the company of another criminal named epstein, to keep grifting as long as he can, and to get away with it all by Blanche running interference. It is quite remarkable how well all the lies have worked. Worse IMO is that the gop is down with fascism as long as they can keep their lucrative seats. Pulte is just one more bottom of the barrel choice by a guy untroubled by any pangs of conscience or ethical integrity. After all when you've been in bed financially with russian money laundering and the recipient of the work of the russian internet agency's hacking for all these years, farmers going bankrupt, the Strait of Hormuz shut, inflation at 4%, are not his concern. Keeping ALL his corruption and illegality from the eyes of the public is all that matters. That and staying out of the slammer are top of his list.
Pulte is not qualified in the least. We all know what this is about. Someone who will do his bidding and step outside the realm of their duties. The last thing we need.
The 210 days he is allowed to remain "acting" gets Trump through the November elections. That's all he cares about, and all he needs Pulte for. Remember the previous DNI showing up during the FBI raid at the Fulton County election center? Pulte's only job duty is to throw sand (or maybe cement) into the fair conduct of the midterm elections.
Jen, there are many qualified folk out there, but nobody writes like you. I could feel the angry heat coming off the computer! So good to hear you again!!!
Well, extensive experience in government with a deep knowledge of the workings of our purported Constitutional Republic ought to be one of the vetting criteria for a President. Again, this puts the spotlight on the Constitution and its utter and total lack of teeth. We have to build teeth into the 'advice and consent' situation. We need to put a requirement for an up or down vote within 14 days on a proposed cabinet officer and that they may not step into the role until confirmed. This is not 1787 - information no linger travels at the speed of a horse - it travels at the speed of light. The senate can just jolly well get their asses in gear and work for their rather large paychecks and benefits.
How surprising is it that Trump doesn't value experience and/or expertise? Not at all. After all, he had none when elected president in 2016, and well into his second term, he doesn't have much, if any, more.
Extensive experience in what is the question that senators will have to answer before confirming the nomination of two of Trump's most egregious picks: Pulte and Blanche. Both have shown that loyalty trumps (sorry about that) knowledge, experience or expertise for the jobs that will fall under their purview. These two incompetents must not be confirmed.
funny thing: in a congressional hearing bessent was asked "is it true what people say, you were going to punch pulte in the face ? No sir, I was going to kick him in the ass.
What does it say about an Executive who staffs his administration with incompetents? Obviously, that CEO is incompetent. Any private corp. would remove such an Incompetent. US needs a referendum or recall process to enable the voters to oust such an Incompetent….instead of being saddled with him/her for 4 years of destructive incompetence!
Trump hates expertise in other people. It shows that he doesn't have any expertise in anything. A competent and confident leader would look for people who are the best in their respective fields, ideally knowing more about those fields than the leader does.
We have ways to remove people like Trump, and in his first term, it was used twice- and failed because the GOP dominated Senate declined to act on the evidence so carefully gathered and presented by the House. This is the appropriate way to remove a failed president, but the Senate seems to have been either bought or blackmailed into subservience. Trump should have been put on trial for his role in fomenting the January 6 insurrection. He still could be. There is also the 25th Amendment, which has been repeatedly brought up, but studiously ignored by those who could act on it.
1) Impeachment is only for “high crimes and misdemeanors”….not incompetence.
2) impeachment, and also, the 25th Amendment is not implemented by the voting public.
We the people should NOT be shackled with Incompetence for 4 years, when it is plainly obvious. Recall or Referendum would solve that problem. In the meantime, all we can do is: Vote Blue when we have the opportunity to do so.
The "Meet The Press" interview with Trump shows Trump's psychopathic mentality. It is inexplicable to me, but not a small number of Americans believe we are safer if POTUS has the psychopathic tendencies to kill at will. Trump is proving he does as long as the counties are weak and not really a current threat. His interview sounds like Iran poses an existential threat to the US. Remember how Jimmy Carter, a wonderful human, behaved when Iran had hostage leverage over the US. He was willing to damage his presidential image rather than risk the death of a single American.
In Trump's power fantasies, I guess Venezuela posed an existential threat to the US. Maybe Cuba and Greenland? Funny it's not Russia or China. What's left of Trump's mental capacity is a psychopathic pea brain. If the MAGA GOP won't step up, they are complicit in treason.
The part about all this reporting I still find concerning is that Congress as a whole seems to have a problem differentiating between "allowing the Executive to pick a cabinet member of choice," and ensuring that person "meets the basic statutory qualifications." We may not like the person a President nominates but will confirm them, but it is not disloyal to insist that person being recommended meets the necessary basic qualifications for their office. Failure to do so is truly one of the more egregious actions of this current Congress.
This word has always annoyed me too. I encountered it constantly in my music writing, when bands claimed they were "handpicked" to go on tour with some headliner, or "handpicked" to appear on a show. Why not just "picked" or "selected"?
So Collins doesn’t know if Pulte has any intelligence expertise. Isn’t it her job to do research and be informed about nominees? Or is this just part of her being concerned but little else?
That is why the MAGAs are the modern day equivalent of the Know Nothing party. Starting at the top with Trump, they feign ignorance of anything that they have given their jobs to know.
Perhaps she will waggle her finger at him to show her mild annoyance?
I'm sure she will express her "genuine concern" and then line up to vote in favor, if the Republican leadership needs her vote.
It's Collins.
Collins will be "concerned" about Pulte. Just like she will be "concerned" about Blanche for Attorney General. But in the end, she will give Trump what he wants.
I share your cynicism about her… but i also get that a senator can make a speculative remark in the hallway, no homework done. That remark of hers is more meaty than most of hers and as we know that’s not saying much.
Hallway remark? It's better to remain silent and appear a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
No kidding! What a pathetic thing to say about herself, not about Pulte. Sheesh. I do sooooo hope she loses in November!!!!
I am not a Collins fan by any means, but she did NOT say she doesn't know if he has any intelligence expertise. She DID say she doesn't know if he even has a SECURITY CLEARANCE. Big difference here.
But at least Pulte will have learned a lesson after his confirmation by S. Collins (R-Maine). No?
Reestablishing the notion that people in high government posts should be qualified for them would be welcome.
Not only welcome, but also novel, at least over the past circa 18 months!
"[Pulte's] absence of statutorily required national security experience surely should be enough to make him an entirely illegitimate choice."
AND he's short and distinctly unattractive.
How could Trump even consider such a non-looker?
Unless, of course the guy's bootlicking skills are far above average...
They are. And probably the fat felon could not find a woman good looking enough to put in that position.
A whole government based on “badges? badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!” And not in a Mel Brooks parody, either.
Jennifer Rubin cracked the code; Trump selects people based on DEI, Dumb, Egotistical and Incompetent.
He’s selected many DEIS: Dumb, Egotistical, Incompetent Sycophants.
We heard the same performative 'outrage' about Trump's cop beater slush fund, but did any republicans vote for the budget amendment that would have killed it? NO! I'm not holding out false hope that they'll grow a backbone now.
The majic word is still EPSTEIN.
Lesley Groff worked closely with Epstein for more than 18 years. Her name appears 130,000 times in the Epstein files. She will appear today before the House Oversight Epstein committee.
How many contacts did she make for Epstein and who were they? How many contacts with Trump?
Did she attend parties with him?
Without a doubt.
So far the only names to be a disgrace are Obama's chums Summers and Wasserman...I believe one of the women around obama was implicated as well.
You have to be kidding!!! The REAL story is the coverup.
IMHO 4 levels 1 perps 2. pimps 3. doing business with a felon 4. coverup.
International story. The friggin' prince of England. Heads of state in several countries.
as you say Ernie, you are a storyteller...
That's right, and as a storyteller I have the experience and ability to separate Fact from democrat fiction...and bullshit.
As for cover up...Zero interest through obama's third term.
Perps? Anyone who voted to traffic children over obama's open border for sex slavery.
Anyone who voted to traffic teenagers over obama's open border for prostitution.
Anyone who voted to murder children in the desert and drown in the rivers around obama's open border.
Who did you vote for in 2020?
Speaking of bovine excrement, those are all scurrilous "untruths" as the corporate media like to call them. Shame on you for typing them.
Thank you for backing me up, Sir, I appreciate it.
Low approval ratings may gall trump, but being the fascist authoritarian he is he does not care. His one goal is to rewrite the history of J6, his impeachment, his various fraudulent business practices, his sicko sexual predations in the company of another criminal named epstein, to keep grifting as long as he can, and to get away with it all by Blanche running interference. It is quite remarkable how well all the lies have worked. Worse IMO is that the gop is down with fascism as long as they can keep their lucrative seats. Pulte is just one more bottom of the barrel choice by a guy untroubled by any pangs of conscience or ethical integrity. After all when you've been in bed financially with russian money laundering and the recipient of the work of the russian internet agency's hacking for all these years, farmers going bankrupt, the Strait of Hormuz shut, inflation at 4%, are not his concern. Keeping ALL his corruption and illegality from the eyes of the public is all that matters. That and staying out of the slammer are top of his list.
Pulte is not qualified in the least. We all know what this is about. Someone who will do his bidding and step outside the realm of their duties. The last thing we need.
The 210 days he is allowed to remain "acting" gets Trump through the November elections. That's all he cares about, and all he needs Pulte for. Remember the previous DNI showing up during the FBI raid at the Fulton County election center? Pulte's only job duty is to throw sand (or maybe cement) into the fair conduct of the midterm elections.
Jen, there are many qualified folk out there, but nobody writes like you. I could feel the angry heat coming off the computer! So good to hear you again!!!
Well, extensive experience in government with a deep knowledge of the workings of our purported Constitutional Republic ought to be one of the vetting criteria for a President. Again, this puts the spotlight on the Constitution and its utter and total lack of teeth. We have to build teeth into the 'advice and consent' situation. We need to put a requirement for an up or down vote within 14 days on a proposed cabinet officer and that they may not step into the role until confirmed. This is not 1787 - information no linger travels at the speed of a horse - it travels at the speed of light. The senate can just jolly well get their asses in gear and work for their rather large paychecks and benefits.
How surprising is it that Trump doesn't value experience and/or expertise? Not at all. After all, he had none when elected president in 2016, and well into his second term, he doesn't have much, if any, more.
He probably has less due to his unfortunate mental decline.
The tricky thing about his mental decline is that it's hard to tell when it started. "At birth" is possible, but I'd start later.
conception
Extensive experience in what is the question that senators will have to answer before confirming the nomination of two of Trump's most egregious picks: Pulte and Blanche. Both have shown that loyalty trumps (sorry about that) knowledge, experience or expertise for the jobs that will fall under their purview. These two incompetents must not be confirmed.
funny thing: in a congressional hearing bessent was asked "is it true what people say, you were going to punch pulte in the face ? No sir, I was going to kick him in the ass.
Apparently Mr. Bassent does not have a high regard for Mr. Pulte.
that's what I concluded
What does it say about an Executive who staffs his administration with incompetents? Obviously, that CEO is incompetent. Any private corp. would remove such an Incompetent. US needs a referendum or recall process to enable the voters to oust such an Incompetent….instead of being saddled with him/her for 4 years of destructive incompetence!
Trump hates expertise in other people. It shows that he doesn't have any expertise in anything. A competent and confident leader would look for people who are the best in their respective fields, ideally knowing more about those fields than the leader does.
He has a desperate need to believe that "no one knows more about it than I do."
That is what he always says, but then he says a lot of things.
We have ways to remove people like Trump, and in his first term, it was used twice- and failed because the GOP dominated Senate declined to act on the evidence so carefully gathered and presented by the House. This is the appropriate way to remove a failed president, but the Senate seems to have been either bought or blackmailed into subservience. Trump should have been put on trial for his role in fomenting the January 6 insurrection. He still could be. There is also the 25th Amendment, which has been repeatedly brought up, but studiously ignored by those who could act on it.
1) Impeachment is only for “high crimes and misdemeanors”….not incompetence.
2) impeachment, and also, the 25th Amendment is not implemented by the voting public.
We the people should NOT be shackled with Incompetence for 4 years, when it is plainly obvious. Recall or Referendum would solve that problem. In the meantime, all we can do is: Vote Blue when we have the opportunity to do so.
The "Meet The Press" interview with Trump shows Trump's psychopathic mentality. It is inexplicable to me, but not a small number of Americans believe we are safer if POTUS has the psychopathic tendencies to kill at will. Trump is proving he does as long as the counties are weak and not really a current threat. His interview sounds like Iran poses an existential threat to the US. Remember how Jimmy Carter, a wonderful human, behaved when Iran had hostage leverage over the US. He was willing to damage his presidential image rather than risk the death of a single American.
In Trump's power fantasies, I guess Venezuela posed an existential threat to the US. Maybe Cuba and Greenland? Funny it's not Russia or China. What's left of Trump's mental capacity is a psychopathic pea brain. If the MAGA GOP won't step up, they are complicit in treason.
I honestly thought he was going to hit her. The look of absolute rage and evil on his face was chilling.
The part about all this reporting I still find concerning is that Congress as a whole seems to have a problem differentiating between "allowing the Executive to pick a cabinet member of choice," and ensuring that person "meets the basic statutory qualifications." We may not like the person a President nominates but will confirm them, but it is not disloyal to insist that person being recommended meets the necessary basic qualifications for their office. Failure to do so is truly one of the more egregious actions of this current Congress.
Great column. Thank you for your clarity and outrage.
Another now overused word I could do without is "handpicked." Unless it refers to a fruit a vegetable or a flower, it is almost certainly misused.
This word has always annoyed me too. I encountered it constantly in my music writing, when bands claimed they were "handpicked" to go on tour with some headliner, or "handpicked" to appear on a show. Why not just "picked" or "selected"?
"Hired" seems to me to be appropriate and clarifies the relationship.
See also 'chosen'.
Brilliant phraseology: “faceplant.”