OK, We Are Overmatched

Ouch. After the mocking "Lame Duck" tweet, Putin's response to Obama's decision to deport 35 Russian diplomats is a classic. A snippet:

Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration.

The diplomats who are returning to Russia will spend the New Year’s holidays with their families and friends. We will not create any problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year’s holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children’s parties in the Kremlin.

It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner. Nevertheless, I offer my New Year greetings to President Obama and his family.

My season’s greetings also to President-elect Donald Trump and the American people.

I wish all of you happiness and prosperity.

As Andrew Sullivan used to say, "Meep meep". Although now Putin is the Roadrunner and Obama is Wile E. Coyote, complete with his Acme Deportation Order.

But as much as I may enjoy Obama's latest encounter with a banana peel, I am vigorously reminding myself of two points:

(1) Don't get comfortable rooting for the Russkies. Obama is an embarrassment, but for a few more weeks he is OUR embarrassment; and more worryingly

(2) This probably won't get better under Trump. My fear is that right now some snarky twenty-something Russian punk is reading Trump's many tweets and gearing up for four (or eight!?!) years of psy-ops aimed at The Donald. The result will be a public flame war between said punk and the Leader of the Free World, who really ought to find better uses for his time but has yet to see a Twitter feud he can let go.

Time will tell.

Comments

[buccaneer morgan]

Except pompeo, flynn, boessert, macfarland are very proactive on the cyber front.

[RattlerGator]

Still underestimating the man, TM?

[RattlerGator]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/democrats-have-a-religion-problem/510761/

This is a good article. I don't think the democrats are going to follow this guy's advice, though.

Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | December 30, 2016 at 09:21 AM

This article is (secretly, I suspect) far more important to Democrats than they will ever acknowledge. It speaks simultaneously to just how illusory Barack Obama was (and will always be) as well as the completely dishonest internal conversation between Black Dems and White Dems. I'll enjoy their effort to assert themselves as something *OTHER* than a municipal party. I made that claim on a Jacksonville urban core website and it freaked the moderator out so much, they are selectively banning me on certain threads.

Trump truly has a chance to deliver a kill shot to the Democrat Party as we know it.

[Protest Manager]

My fantasy for the next 8 years is that Trump appoints conservative Cabinet heads, let's them populate and run their agencies, and spends his time trolling lefties on Twitter & other social media.

So I'm against you on this one :-)

[Captain Hate]

Tammy made a comment that at least a couple Rooskis newly ordered to be deported have been on the FBI Most Wanted list for a while. Another LoLy/Comey success story.

[buccaneer morgan]

Now if the hacker is natalia romanov, yes began has been on the list for three years. Since he hacked the Nevada and Arizona exchanges

[Captain Hate]

I'll enjoy their effort to assert themselves as something *OTHER* than a municipal party. I made that claim on a Jacksonville urban core website and it freaked the moderator out so much, they are selectively banning me on certain threads.

Selective banning; how does that work?

[henry]

Russians exchanging tweets with Trump I can live with, might even get amused by. Iranian missiles are another matter which Obama left behind that only get more dangerous.

[Porchlight]

This probably won't get better under Trump.

Of course it will get better under Trump.

[Captain Hate]

Porch, where've you been?

[Thomas Collins]

Of far greater significance re Russkie and Red China (not to mention NoKo and Eyeranian) relations than what Trump tweets is his commitment to refurbishing our nuke deterrent and bolstering strategic defense.

My biggest concern is not Trump. It's whether McCain, Graham and Collins will decide that positive NY Times pieces about them are more important than getting Trump's agenda through. I am optimistic about McConnell in this regard, especially given his handling of the Garland matter.

I'd say Obama's seven plus years, and his final days, are turning out about how one might reasonably have expected in Jan. of 2009.

[Thomas Collins]

As far as Trump-Putin relations go, Trump is going to be far more realistic about Putin than the man who mocked Mitt Romney about Romney's proposed Russia policy, and who assured Medvedev about flexibility after the 2012 election.

[Old Lurker]

Speaking of which, TC, nobody commented on my link above about if this can possibly be true?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/30/no-us-carrier-at-sea-leaves-gap-in-middle-east.html

[henry]

OL, our Chitown friend believes Obama did the same ting before the 2012 election.

[Thomas Collins]

Obama, OL, believes sanctions, lectures and finger wagging are substitutes for military strength. I hope Trump focuses on military preparedness as his first priority. Mattis is a great pick to deal with this aspect of Trump's administration.

[Old Lurker]

We know that a ginormous percent of our total investment in our military is in our carrier fleets. Not a single one of them is at sea at this moment?

Great Force Projection, dude!

I suppose if there is no Red Line, then nobody can trip over it.

[Sandy Daze]

OL - Yes, I've read similar reports about re no CVBG presence in the ME.

The Navy has been overstretched these last fifteen years, and has as well seen the overall fleet size drop. CVNs and the accompanying ships making up the battlegroup are not built overnight. Also, the Navy has been terrible on bringing out the newest class CVN, USS Ford, which is experiencing similar, but different, technological problems as are the F-35, the Freedom LCS and the Zumwalt.

The obama-mabus era of the Navy has been horrible.

But so too, have been the Navy leaders--singularly and perhaps collectively, some of the poorest group of Admirals in modern history, if not for the entire history of the USN.

Obsequious, feckless, political, many corrupt (viz Fat Leonard), etc etc.

Sad !

MAGA

~~~~~~~~~~

OBTW - re TM's post, and in particular point #2--no. I'm with RG here, you are still underestimating DJT.

[RattlerGator]

Selective banning; how does that work?

Posted by: Captain Hate | December 30, 2016 at 04:24 PM

This is my guess: they tag your account so that any attempt to comment on certain threads (I'm alerted to this difference because any attempt to even view the thread requires me to sign in) sends a notice to the moderator who, in this instance, automatically deletes my comment. My problem: there's a moderator-owner who tried to insist Ronald Reagan first excited him about politics but that Republicans AFTER REAGAN were crazy right-wingers that chased him away from the Republican Party. I called him out on this and said Reagan and Trump compare favorably, especially in the way both party establishments responded to them. This moderator-owner, mind you, is a guy who has never come across a union he didn't love and sees liberal politics in practically everything.

[buccaneer morgan]

Hey sandy how was your christmas?

[matt, deplore me if you must]

Has any president in history been such a complete douche to his successor, and more to the point, to the people if this country.

This is a combination thumbed nose, hiney wag, and crapping on the police car. It is about as puerile and offensive as it gets.

The Kerry/Powers Israel backstab is going to have serious repercussions.

The Russians have hacked DoD, NSA, and multiple other agencies and have the private information of most civilian government employees through their GSA hack and only now does Obama declare some Russians personae non grata over the hack of some stupid Democratic Party e mails. Really?

This man has raised douchery to a whole 'nother level and deserves to be bitch slapped by Trump 5 seconds after he takes the oath.

[Sandy Daze]

OL,

I may be wrong, but I think the current CVN total is 10, perhaps 11. What this means is that operationally, there needs to be three CVNs for any one area of the world you wish to maintain presence.

For instance, say you want to have a carrier in the Med 24/7/365. Say you want to have the deployment length at six months (although I note Ike just returned after seven months and many/most/all(?) deployments during the last 15 years were longer. To maintain a persistent presence, you need (at least) three carriers:
one on station,
one returning from deployment
one "working up" for deployment

Sure have longer deployments, but then you confront issues of personnel retention, etc. The old joke, the Navy used to be made of wood and the sailors of steel, now the Navy is made of steel and the sailors...

Both sailors and the ships wear out and from time to time need MAJOR overhaul. All of a sudden your three carriers cannot maintain the rotation; either deployment length must be lengthened or the persistent presence must be, well, ended, or as is said "gapped presence."

[RattlerGator]

Serena Williams engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian

Don't know squat about Alexis, but Reddit was invaluable during the Election, so good luck to them both.

Posted by: daddy | December 30, 2016 at 02:53 PM

That's my Alpha Female, dammit -- (((sigh))) -- I'm officially in mourning.

[Willy]

Henry can live with Russians today. Oh the fickle nature...

[Sandy Daze]

If you want to maintain a CVBG (carrier battle group) presence
in the Med,
the Indian ocean/persian gulf
and the Pacific
right there you need nine carriers with no room for error or serious overhaul.

Okay there a CVN in JAPAN, which adds a bit of flexibility, I know, but let's not complicate the math.

Back in the Cold War days (80s), the objective/desired CVBG presence in the Med, for instance, was 2.5; then 2.0, then one, and well, but the time of 13 hours, the answer is none.

You get my point, I hope.

~~~~

NIMITZ class carriers took about five years to build and cost about five billion dollars per.
The Ford Class is now at about ten years and over 15 Billion, and still is not ready for prime time.

SAD !

MAGA

[Sandy Daze]

Buc - great Christmas, thank you.

Let me say now, to you Buc, your family and friends, and to the entire JOM tribe:

May the Joy, Peace, and Promise of Christ's birth be with you and yours throughout a
Safe, Secure, Prosperous, and Happy, New Year !

All the best in 2017 !

[Texas Liberty Gal]

On a completely different topic for a moment -

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/30/report-cowboys-plan-to-play-tony-romo-on-sunday/

Hmmm....

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Our nuclear deterrent is one of the few things I don't worry about McCain and Graham getting behind.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

People, including our esteemed host, are going to have to get used to Trump being on Twitter.

As I said earlier, his tweet about Putin was read on CBS radio, so at least some reporters are getting with the program.

I imagine back in the day, there were democrats who rolled their eyes at Roosevelt's radio Fireside Chats as being "undignified."

We are in a new world, where technology and social media rule. Trump was smart enough to catch onto this, and he is going to use it to great effect.

Personally, I like having the scoop on what he thinks straight from him. Why should we have to wait for a press conference?

[Texas Liberty Gal]

I am 100% with you MM. And we know his tweets do not contain fake news unlike 99% of the "media"

[East Bay Jay]

Last time we left the Gulf empty of carriers Saddam invaded Kuwait, I believe.

When Saddam invaded Kuwait we had just changed the carrier 'baton pass' location from the Strait of Hormuz to the Malacca Strait (assuming both ships are pac fleet for simplicity), essentially leaving the Gulf empty of a US carrier for about 10 days.

The constant carrier presence started in the wake of the Iranian Hostage Taking. It's possible the invasion timing was coincidental but I doubt it.

[buccaneer morgan]

Same to you and your family, sandy.

[Grab it while you can.]

Heh, I first read 'psy-ops' as 'pussy-ops'.

[buccaneer morgan]

Jubal harshaw is another who taunts the happy fun ball of fools.

[Will you carry this sack of coal ash out to the trash on your way out, please?]

I like this, too; Putin greeted 'President Obama and family' and 'President-Elect Trump and the American People'.

[Amber Valentine🎊🎉🎇🎆]

Gee, is that why the prefrontal lobes go numb, put to sleep? Again, there is nothing the body has not tried to defeat the disease. Maybe a reflection of the victim... ⛈

LUC

[Will this year never end?]

The fun taunt of happy fools' fingering balls.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Escalation, escalation!! Apparently Trump pinned that tweet about Putin on PINTEREST!

Hahahaha! A new front opens!

[Pre-frontal cortical numb nuts]

Lubber lobes of cerebral neuritis.

[A red balloon for the Emperor of Wyoming.]

Rubber ball keep a bouncing back to me.

[Captain Hate]

there's a moderator-owner who tried to insist Ronald Reagan first excited him about politics but that Republicans AFTER REAGAN were crazy right-wingers that chased him away from the Republican Party. I called him out on this and said Reagan and Trump compare favorably, especially in the way both party establishments responded to them.

He's in denial about the true nature of Reagan, aided by the MFM's comic book coverage in which they rewrite everything to the delight of the GOPe. Trump is, if anything, even more of an outsider which of course you know, but both were vehemently opposed by the party insiders.

[Michael (fpa Patriot4Freedom)]

Re:
Bow rip ed reinecke . . .
Posted by: buccaneer morgan | December 30, 2016 at 01:09 PM

Narciso - Pardon me for asking, but you have me completely stumped with your use of "Bow" there.
I've seen it used as the first word in several comments recently, and even though I can usually figure out 90-plus percent of your comments, I can't figure out what you mean by using it as the first word in a sentence.

The "RIP Ed Reinecke" is self-evident, but an explanation of the "Bow" would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[RattlerGator]

Well, time to prepare to kick back and watch the Wolverines and Noles get it on.

[pagar, a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

This is scary, IMO.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/circle-january-15th-70-nations-will-gather-in-paris-to-discuss-the-creation-of-a-palestinian-state?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

"Now it looks like they actually could try to get a Palestinian state created before he leaves office on January 20th, and if that happens it will be absolutely catastrophic for America. "

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Charles Murray has a test to determine how large or thick a bubble you live in, bubble being defined as separate from white blue color culture although white wouldn't really enter into it for anyone living in small town or rural America.
There's a link to the quiz itself.
I got a 62.

[Old Lurker]

That story said we not only have no carrier in the ME, but at this moment they say no carrier at sea anywhere.

Can that possibly be true?.??

[lyle]

57

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

No US carriers at sea for the next week.

[Donald]

Drivin N Cryin and Dan Baird's Home Made Sin at 9:00pm people.

[Morning in America again]

If Obummer thinks he can create a Palestinian state in five days, then we ought to be able go get him impeached in four!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ignatz,

I got a 58. I think I would have scored higher if my classes in high school hadn't been grouped by achievement; I had no C- type friends because I never met them.

Also, I rarely go to movies and don't watch much TV, so got few points in that section.

[Buckeye]

Iggy

I remember taking this once before. This time I got a 30.

[buccaneer morgan]

Yes by the way, Michael, autocorrect 'what is it good for, absolutely nothing'

[Thomas Collins]

You beat me, Ignatz (I scored a 44), although if the quiz were more urban oriented, I would have a higher score. For example, if one of the questions was did you have more than a passing familiarity with at least one individual interviewed in Crimetown, which familiarity was not based on a journalist or academic enterprise, my answer would be yes. If a question was did you visit anyone down on their luck in the most notorious rooming house in Providence (where drunks chilled out and strippers took their customers), my answer would be hell yes! If a question was could I start a civil war with a Facebook main post on politics, I'd say definitely yes.

There are different kinds of bubbles. My bubble is assuredly urban versus rural. But one thing the questionnaire doesn't pick up is urban doesn't necessarily mean only hangs with David Brooks/Pauline Kael types.

[buccaneer morgan]

Reinecke was the San Diego city manager caught up in the fracas with itt, the deems seer so eager to hang him they didn't observe a quorum, and our clarice reversed it on appeal.

[Captain Hate]

Glad to see my faith in the Holes to lose a bowl game was amply rewarded.

[Buckeye]

I know I physically live in a bubble neighborhood, but I "see eye to eye" more with the guys I know who live in rural areas.

My parents had farm family roots, but both had graduate degrees.

Probably an odd ball.

Mrs. Buckeye says no doubt about it:)

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

My dad worked blue collar all his life. My mother was a teacher, then a dean of women at a local college.

I grew up on a small farm. Most of the parents of my friends were blue collar. However, my friends also graduated in the top 25% of my class, and we knew each other because the school separated students according to academic achievement.

I live in a blue collar neighborhood, now. My former neighborhood wasmore upsacale, but only one of my neighbors was not blue collar; the neighborhood was full of older union workers with higher incomes, small business people who were plumbers, etc.

I suppose for a long time I have been in a blue-collar bubble. Maybe this is why I recognized Trump's appeal early on.

[anonamom]

30.
But I do know who Jimmie Johnson is, and I know which house he lives in on the next block over. I should get bonus points for that.

And extra credit for knowing which house is Jeff Gordon's too.
And Rick Hendrick, and Bruton Smith.

What kind of bubble dweller can I be surrounded by Nascar's finest?

[Janet]

65

[Buckeye]

I wish I lived in your neighborhood anonamom.

Few of mine know which end of the wrench to grab:)

[Buckeye]

Peppers is out tonight, so looks like I will end up 1 for 4 for day 1.

[buccaneer morgan]

Apparently, haaretz was wrong about the Uk's position on israel.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/312191-veteran-groups-to-participate-in-trump-inaugural-parade

This article contains a list of all units marching (as of now).

[Alison]

Drivin N Cryin and Dan Baird's Home Made Sin at 9:00pm people.

Donald I love them both and have seen both bands 2 or 3 times in the last year or so. Huge fan of Warner E. Hodges.

[Dave (in MA)]

I heard on the radio (Curt Schilling filling in for Howie Carr) that Ban Ki Moon is going to preside over the NYE ball drop in Times Square. What, was Assad not available?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OQx2nqaaOE

13-minute rant by a Millennial on the Obama-Russian controversy. Intersting take, but warning: lots of F words.

[buccaneer morgan]

The absurdity this year can cause a small singularity Dave, but he's apparently being recruited to run for miss park's party nomination.

[Momto2]

53

[Free James D!]

Trump truly has a chance to deliver a kill shot to the Democrat Party as we know it.

The Democrat Party has shot itself in the head already. All Trump has to do is keep the RINOs from administering first aid.

[Free James D!]

46

[buccaneer morgan]

Matthew dowd needs to issued a fire license fir burning strawmen.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/312199-obama-to-talk-obamacare-strategy-with-hill-dems-next-week

Not much they can do, but he continues to make an ass of himself.

[daddy]

I got a 47 on the Charles Murray Quiz. I had seen none of the Movies and watched none of the TV shows, and have never ever stocked my fridge with crap beer.

[rse]

I got a 34.

I did well earlier though on the Cooks vs Cons quiz.

[Outlandrr]

47

[sbw]

53

[macthenaif]

59

[Captain Hate]

42

[Captain Haiku]

5-7-5

[kave]

59

[daddy]

You Massachusetts guys will remember this better than I, but I vaguely recall something like when the Governor of your State was a Republican the State Dem's changed the rules that previously allowed the Governor to appoint a new Senator if a Senator died or resigned. I think they made it to where there now had to be a new Election. Then when a Dem became Governor the Legislature gave the Dem Governor back that power to fill a Dem vacancy Then when another Repub Governor was in power and it looked like somebody (maybe Ted Kennedy) was about to croak, they changed it again so there would have to be another election. Something like that.

I mention all that because I see that now in North Carolina where the State Repubs have voted to limit the powers of the incoming Dem Elect Governor, a Judge has stepped in and called the proceeding illegal or something.

How come it's OK in Massachusetts to rig the system for the Dems but its not OK to do the same in NC for the Repubs?

[buccaneer morgan]

Words to that effect, daddy, and you'll be shocked to know there's a similar pattern of courtpacking and corruption in that stAte as well.

[buccaneer morgan]

Its like a game of democrat twister, wheres every step requires a chiropractor.

[buccaneer morgan]

Yes when coupe devalue be am gov, they changed the rules, to allow appointment then they changed it again when Kennedy became Norwegian blue, then again.

Similarly one courtpacking, and one impeached gov was among the prologue.

[buccaneer morgan]

Crikey, guess where the software for the hack came from, although this might be a false flag in itself.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

So it seems Janet is the most open, least blinkered person here, or as you sub forty scores might put it, the biggest bumpkin. :)

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Where, buccaneer? Don't keep us in suspense!

[buccaneer morgan]

Wordfence has the story.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ukraine software.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

This Week in Weird Twitter: Volume 81

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Heading to bed.

Nytol!

[buccaneer morgan]

Sounds like something I might have conjured up, its an older Ukrainian program, in itself its not probative, but if they are chasing foxes

[Captain Hate]

Just when you think 2016 couldn't get any better, that murdering piece of shit Kennedy relative, Michael Skakel's conviction was reinstated.

[DebinNC]

Bubble Test score - 48

Accusations and intel from Brennan and Clapper are automatically suspect.

[buccaneer morgan]

Ron fournier beclowns himself again.

[daddy]

On the Murray Quiz, I got a 47, Iggy got a 62, and Captain Hate got a 42.

I didn't understand all that Bubble business, so help me out. In plain English, who is the bigger Hillbilly, Iggy or the Captain, and which one is more likely to have chow with Pauline Kael?

I have the sound muted on the TV and I see it's some lightship at HalfTime of FSU beating somebody. The strobing Blue lights and bizarrely dressed people jumping about on stage remind me of a Dr Who Christmas Special.

Bring on the Daleks!

[BariJerry]

71...Rural and went to a small school... knew the entire bell curve of students....

[daddy]

My biggest concern is not Trump. It's whether McCain, Graham and Collins will decide that positive NY Times pieces about them are more important than getting Trump's agenda through.

Yessiree, TC.

[buccaneer morgan]

Ok from that diagram I confidently conclude it was arnim zola