David Brooks Is Right - Trump's Talent Search Will Be Difficult

Employing a metaphor that might have been taken from Tom Friedman, David Brooks erupts on TrumpWorld:

The Trump Administration Talent Vacuum

After an eruption, volcanoes sometimes collapse at the center. The magma chamber empties out and the volcano falls in on itself, leaving a caldera and a fractured ring of stone around the void, covered by deadening ash.

That’s about the shape of Washington after the last stunning fortnight. The White House at the center just collapsed in on itself and the nation’s policy apparatus is covered in ash.

I don’t say that because I think the Comey-Russia scandal will necessarily lead to impeachment. I have no idea where the investigations will go.

I say it because White Houses, like all organizations, run on talent, and the Trump White House has just become a Human Resources disaster area.

We have seen White Houses engulfed by scandal before. But we have never seen a White House implode before it had the time to staff up. The Nixon, Reagan and Clinton White Houses had hired quality teams by the time their scandals came. They could continue to function, sort of, even when engulfed.

The Trump administration, on the other hand, has hundreds of senior and midlevel positions to fill, and few people of quality or experience are going to want to take them.

As a bonus wrinkle, previous Presidents had some political background and a team of loyalists trailing in their wake. Reagan had his California cronies, Bush had the Rove/Hughes/Allbaugh Texas Triumvirate, and even Obama had a Chicago machine to lean on. Trump did not arrive with a seasoned team and is going to have a brutal time continuing to try and pull one together. One suggestion! Have the White House employment contract include some sort of legal insurance.

Comments

[Clarice Feldman]

http://www.eutimes.net/2017/03/bombshell-podesta-received-35-million-from-russia-while-advising-clinton-obama/

Yeah, memories.

[daddy]

Watching the panel with host James Rosen who as we all know was spied on by Eric Holder and Obama. He just asked a pointed question about leaks to AB Stoddard and she looks as flustered and guilty as a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. James Rosen plays a clip of Sean Spicer's statement first, then he reads Spicers comment and asks a loaded question:

Spicer: "Once again, the real story is that our National Security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

Rosen: AB, here we have notes taken inside the Oval Office, and they said an American Official, meaning a current Official, sitting on the phone and reading those quotes from this official document chronicling this meeting with the Russians to a New York Times reporter. That doesn't bother you?

AB Stoddard: Oh, oh, I feel, uhhh, I feel accused, James. But it's actually not my story, it's the New York Times.

Rosen: Should we not be bothered by the leaking of it? Address if you would Sean Spicer's comment that the leaking is the most salient feature of this.

AB Stoddard: Well, The leaking is a problem. The leaks were a problem for President Obama, as you well know, James. They, they, they are going to be, uhhh, under, uhhh, I think they are, uhhh, really facing ummm, a great fear of the leaks, because of the rate at which they face leaks, and the rate at which they seem to come now, at uhhh, an even sort of more rapid speed regarding this investigation. I think it's, you know, it's, it's, it's, it is going to ummmmmmm, cause them great stress, and it is obviously a huge part of the story. Much of this is not legal, ummm, but people are doing it, uhhh, because they believe the President's doing something wrong. And the potency of these reports and these accounts are going to cause him great political peril, even if in the end, let's say from the Washington Post Story, the "person of Interest" is not a target, will not be charged with anything, you know, criminal or anything. It creates another dramatic storyline about the Trump West Wing and the way that Trump behaves ummm about the Russia Investigation, how he fired Comey, why he fired Comey, and the way that he talks with Russian Officials when he thinks no one is listening, so I, I, always come back to everything is thru the prism of Congress for me. Umm, This puts an enormous amount of pressure on people who have had a tough week in his Party to try to keep saying...
-----------------------

Sorry, ran out of tape, but if this was game of Battleship, what with all that stuttering and stammering and the bits I bolded, I would say James Rosen just scored a direct hit, even tho' he and she and the panel all sort of politely laughed it off.

[Account Deleted]

B'rooni---- My swollen knuckles once thought of as unsightly became an asset as my love of bar fighting intensified at 18. ;) The prodigal son...

[Buford Gooch]

Troll, you need to step up your game. You sound like a 13 year old trying to banter with adults.

[Ben]

I remember spending hours watching democracy work in The early 70s during Senate hearings.

Deja Vu all over again

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/latest-lawmakers-frustrated-deputy-ag-briefing-47512643

[Ben]

Keblar..

You are truly a pirate with a wooden sword. Do you realize your comedic audience?

It's a silent film with raucous laughter.

[Clarice Feldman]

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/19/comey-agrees-to-testify-in-open-before-senate-intelligence-committee.html

Comey will testify in open hearing--presumably not behind a curtain.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

That EU Times [whatever that is] headline is incorrect. Podesta received 75,000 shares of stock not $35,000,000.
Joule is a private company so who knows how much the stock is worth?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Troll, you need to step up your game.--

He'll need some stilts for that. He's already got the nonsense.

[henry]

Bubarooni, I have hopes the laser gun will soon give the LCS ships some wallop... although a trebuchet may be best for Gulf states.

[Ben]

Who the flock doesn't capitalize on their political contacts?

Hypocrites don't recognize other hypocrites.

[Ben]

It's veiled encouragement that suffices...grudging respect is ok but not respected in return.

IOWs: continue to gfy.

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

Armitage, Colon Powell and State Deptartment lawyer Taft met with the folks at FBI to confess that Armitage was the leaker they were looking for and you think this got lost in the shuffle?

You're loosing it!

[Bubarooni]

Henry,

I worry about LCS's being able to hold their own in the SCS against ChiCom frigates.

They badly need a bigger deck gun and a good over the horizon ASM.

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

Do you think the FBI just fell asleep while a special counsel was appointed to take over the case that they had solved?

[matt, deplore me if you must]

It must be second shift down in mom and dad's basement.

[Clarice Feldman]

No..they didn't Powell, Armitage and Taft met with Gonzales who declined to hear what they had to say.

[Clarice Feldman]

JIB:http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary/GB00BZ059357GBGBXASQ1.html

Is this a different Joule?

[henry]

Bubarooni, that is a definite sitting duck scenario. I was at the keel laying for the USS Milwaukee, saw the (Ft Worth?)at the pier before handover. Lots of controversy around the armaments / lack thereof.

[Clarice Feldman]

Sorry--should be addressed to Iggy.

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

They met with the FBI. It is documented. Are you really this foolish?

[art in newport]

75,000 shares @ ~ $270 per, is a little over 20M.

Not 35M, but you can see 35 from there.

[narciso]

it's French for solyndra, but he thought it had value,

[daddy]

Lou has on General Jack Keane. Lou is incensed with The Repub's in general. Here is a bit of that:

Lou Dobbs: ...joining me now to discuss the President's first foreign trip, the Saudi Arms Deal, and the White House that is now besieged in an obvious effort by the Left and the Deep State to frankly overthrow the Govt...Before we turn to the trip, the fact that this President right now has a National Security Advisor counseling him to do the opposite of what he was elected to do, that is to name the enemy and destroy the enemy, The Islamic State,...he has a coterie around him of people he doesn't know who to trust...and he is being besieged by the establishment...by the elites of both Political parties. What do you make of it.

Gen Keane: First of all, MacMaster's, and others in the govt, the fact that there is disagreement over policy, I don't think that is unhealthy. I think that is largely a good thing. He's got a very mature sophisticated National Security and Foreign Policy Team and I think that by and large what they have done in these first 120 days...is actually pretty good. What is so troubling and disturbing is that inside end outside of the White House there appears to be a conspiracy to delegitimize this President. I've never seen anything quite like it in my adult life.

Lou: ...you're talking about forces within the White House, contending with each other for the power that has been Constitutionally granted the President...

Keane: I'm not willing to go as far as to say it's in the White House because I don't think that's been proven. I know from talking to people who I have confidence in...

Lou: (Interrupting) Where do the leaks come from?

Keane; They believe the leak about the discussion with Lavrov and the Russian Ambassador came from the NSA. They believe there were some initial leaks came from people who worked for the NSC, National Security Council, for out viewers to understand, and they were largely holdovers. I do think resident in our Intelligence Services, are people who are opposed to the President, and hopefully the leaders of those Intel Services can get these people under control.
-------------------------

I do not know if that is new "news" or not. I have not started catch-up.

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

Here's a transcript for you to chew on.

Armitage: “I was reading the newspaper column again of Mr. Novak and he said he was told by a non-partisan gunslinger. I almost immediately called Secretary Powell and said 'I'm sure that was me.'”

Martin: “Armitage immediately met with FBI agents investigating the leak.”

Armitage: “I told them that I felt I was the inadvertent leak.”

Martin: “Did you get a lawyer?”

Armitage: “No.”

Martin: “Why?”

Armitage: “I felt terrible about what I'd done, I felt I deserved whatever was coming to me and secondarily I didn't need an attorney to tell me the tell the truth, I was already doing that.”

Martin: “That was nearly three years ago, but the political firestorm over who leaked Valerie Plame's identity continued to burn as special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald began hauling White House officials and journalists before a grand jury.”

Martin to Armitage: “You would have taken a lot of wind out of this whole feeding frenzy if you had come forward.”

Armitage: “The special counsel, once he was appointed, asked me not to discuss this and I honored his request.”

Martin: “You saw the President all the time.”

Armitage: “Yes, sir.”

Martin: “Did you ever think of saying, 'Mr. President, I screwed up'?”

Armitage: “Oh, I thought everyday about how I'd screwed up.”

Martin: “Armitage never did tell the President, but he's talking now because the special counsel told him he could. David Martin, CBS News, Arlington, Virginia.”

[narciso]

ah david martin, he made his bones misunderstanding james angleton, that's the most generous understanding, the other was malice,

[Clarice Feldman]

That's precisely what I have said--Fitz told him to keep quiet about it. He never said anyone else told him to keep the truth from coming out--only Fitz.

[Pardon me Scooter.]

The FBI one morning
Lost its notes suborning.
Eckenrode,
Where is that toad?
He's wanted at a harrowing.

[Bwaaa]

More obstructionist antics

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN18F2KK

[Truthbetold5]

Armitage: “The special counsel, once he was appointed, asked me not to discuss this and I honored his request.”

Clarice

Who do you think told Armitage not to tell anyone before Fitzgerald was appointed?

[Clarice Feldman]

Thanks, kim. I was trying to remember his name:Eckenrode.

he had to have someone tell him not to talk when the truth was so damaging to him?

[Bwaaa]

Cnservatives seem mired in the past but not as prologue..

More like Moloch.

Assaaaaange WHINING like Trump.

Go fy you fraudsilent poseur worse than Keblar the endomorph
.

[Truthbetold5]

So Clarice thinks Armitage ran to the FBI on Oct 1 to tell them he is the leaker. And then he sat back for three months not telling anyone else while a special counsel was appointed, and then he was asked for the first time to not tell anyone.

Really Clarice?

[narciso]

these people are crazy

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4521040/Comey-unsettled-Trump-s-attempts-win-over.html

[Clarice Feldman]

I don't think he went to the FBI--You do..There's only one account that he did by the same person who wrote the same story for CBS with the same time stamp that doesn't make that claim. I suspect it may have been dropped because there is noevidence for that at all anywhere not even in the many things written about the case by Bush haters who pimped Ecjenrode and fitz.

[henry]

This trip is a very big deal. Al Sisi set up an Islamic Reformation. The Saudis, Jordan, and many imams joined in. Trump is visiting the resulting conference. Global game changer.

[Truthbetold5]

An article about David Martin's interview!

You can't possibly be this foolish, Clarice

[Clarice Feldman]

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/19/trump-just-gave-china-a-sledgehammer-to-smash-the-lng-monopoly.html

TBT--there's nothing further to say. Talk to the hand if you will.

[Captain Hate]

Armitage still sounds like a backstabbing turd, just like his boss.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Wrong Joules.
Right Joule.

[Clarice Feldman]

Thanks for clearing that up, Iggy.

[Dave (in MA)]

Ah, well. Might as well face the facts:

https://www.tuttl.co/politcal/why-hillary-clinton-would-have-made-a-better-president-than-trump

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

I think I have clearly demonstrated that you won't let facts get in the way of how you and your friends want to tell the story

[Miss Marple]

Henry, Posting on my phone at intermission of granddaughters last high school concert. Reform is what Wictor was predicting. A very big deal indeed.

There's something to be said for voting for a builder.

[narciso]

still sounds like French solyndra, Armitage was with powell and Scowcroft in the Caspian syndicate, using the short hand from 24's second season, as such the impact of a sunni regime ruling a shia polity weighed on him, he was opposed to Iraq, but as a board member of caci, the firm founded by one of maverick's Annapolis alumni, he profited from their mishaps in abu ghraib, and if memory serves,
the transcript of colonel west's court appearance,

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

We Are Watching A Slow-Motion Coup D’etat
The comments section I perused was chock full of cocksure commies.
I believe a sedulous Trump will surely decock them.

[Captain Hate]

henry's link is incredible. If Zippy became aware of any of it he'd head back to Tahiti for a permanent diet of Kools and manjuice cocktails.

[Dave (in MA)]

That's a scurrilous accusation, CH. He reportedly likes sucking on Marlboros.

[Skoot]

And there's this:

"West Mosul, in accordance with tactics changed by President Trump, is surrounded, and our Iraqi partners are in a stiff fight," Mattis said. "There is no escape for ISIS."

When mad dog tells you there's no escape, you're phucked.

[weakhorse]

Al-Watan Columnist: Don't Be "Just Another Version Of Obama"

"I will be clear if I say that the world knows very well that in the last two years [of his term], Barack Obama was doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin, and was a secondary [player] next to him. This was the greatest humiliation in the history of the U.S. Barack Obama merely watched from the sidelines in this sickening show [in the region], when he allowed Tehran to effectively – not hypothetically – occupy Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, and to choose, from the seminary on Qom, who would rule [in their capitals]. During these eight years, Riyadh stood alone before this Iranian expansion...

https://memri.org/reports/saudi-articles-ahead-of-trump%27s-visit

[DrJ]

Is it safe to remove my raincoat donned to avoid all the spittle flying today?

CH asked about the news reporting at the WSJ. It sucks, though it sucks less than the usual media outlets. Admittedly, that's a low bar.

It still has reasonable business reporting, but not like it did in the past. And back in the day, it reported on politics only as it affected business. Now it reports politics front and center, and I for one do not appreciate the coverage.

Unlike CH, I do think that Murdoch has honored his pledge to keep his hands off of the editorial page. It is not what it used to be, but I think that is more of a reflection of the people involved. Bartley was great. Gigot is OK, but his thoughts are not nearly as clear and consistent as Bartley's were.

Now Bartley was an open-borders guy, so in my view he wasn't perfect. But I do think there has been a slow slide of the WSJ editorial page after he stepped down in latest 2002.

[narciso]

yes it's lost what made it distinctive, I suppose one can't escape the face huggers,

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/2017/05/19/mueller-going-to-uncover-things-beyond-scope-that-neither-party-wants-issa-predicts-after-briefing/

stop playing charades, Darrell,

[DrJ]

Equally distressing is the turn the Economist (known as the "E-Communist" here) has taken. About five years ago, give or take, their US reporting took a turn to the far left. Until a few years ago, their editorial page largely was unaffected, but that too has fallen way.

I still find it worthwhile to read, but I don't believe anything in it. It does feature stories I never would otherwise hear about, and that's why I keep it.

[Account Deleted]

Have a great weekend, everyone! Back Monday

[henry]

I enjoyed the Economist for many years. But it went plaid as DrJ reports.

[mockmook]

I guess I'm not a super smart economist because I don't see how moving LNG (which will all be used regardless of where it goes) from one place to another changes the industry.

[mockmook]

"I do not know if that is new "news" or not. I have not started catch-up.
Posted by: daddy"

It's speculation -- it isn't news.

[Dave (in MA)]

Do NBA rules allow a team to forfeit the rest of a series?

[narciso]

I think that's a prerequisite in the regime of david stern,

[Bubarooni]

"Do NBA rules allow a team to forfeit the rest of a series?"

I suppose that coulda prevented some of my heartburn over my Pacers???

[DrJ]

I looked it up: It is 5 years to the day that the Economist's columnist Peter David (their "Lexington" columnist), was reported to have died in a car accident:

http://www.economist.com/node/21555558

It has been downhill for them since.

[Captain Hate]

I think where DrJ and I differ is more degree of change than a flat yes/no loggerhead. He is quite correct that the editorial page has been a permanent home to the open borders crowd, as was Reagan before the question of "just how much do these people wish to assimilate" became prominent.

[Captain Hate]

Sorry about the Pacers, Bubarooni; I'm a big Paul George fan and am pleased with his recovery from that freakishly horrible broken leg. When LeBron went to Miami he figured out how to take the last step to become what he has; and that is, like Jordan, a player who makes his teammates play at the highest level. So far the team has answered the question of whether or not they can flip a switch in the playoffs. Assuming everything holds to form, I'm not afraid of the Warriors. They might lose to them but it will take their A game for that to happen.

[Gentlejim]

Buckeye
Only position I want filled is the Mitch Rapp position.

Posted by: Buckeye | May 19, 2017 at 02:44 PM

I'm way behind, but I would expand it to at least four positions: Mitch Rapp, Jack Noble, Jack Reacher and Scot Harvath. I think I'm remembering my literary badasses correctly. Maybe chuck in Jason Bourne.

[exdemocrat]

those words "quality" and "experience" do not mean what you think they mean.

[Another Bob]

DrJ, Economist was on the downhill slide fifteen years ago.

[daddy]

How come Bob Beckel got fired (again) for racist remarks to an African American at FOX?

What's this world coming to when a disgusting drunken obnoxious Leftist slob can't get a pass for letting his inner racist out?

Exit question: When will FOX News hire him back?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--It's speculation -- it isn't news.--

How quaint.

[glenda]

This entire attempt at "entrapment" of Trump, via the media, aka the Left protectors of Obama---is plain and simple":

To secure Barack's legacy Iran deal--If Trump defeats ISIS< ASSAD (Iran, nee Russia)
all his fundamental changes to American strength, honor of individual freedom--FAILS.

Obama hates Trump and the deplorables(you&me) more than he hates Hillary. His backup plan (realizing Hillary would lose),was using his office to injure Trump's coming "Make America Great Again"
The compliant media would play out his hand, for an audience with their Icon. His celeb clingers financed the plan and adored him in exile, while the token usurpers of our civil rights, leftover to leak while misleading Trump "hire this one--keep that one"--Remember to stroke parallel egotists like Comey---and Wha Laa--Impeach !
AMIRIGHT? heh

[daddy]

It's not clear what the alleged remark was, but Fox said in a statement to Variety that Beckel's words were "insensitive."

Why the hell hasn't his racist slur been leaked? Why in a building of 500 reporters is that pig's comments off limits to the public, when Trump's top secret comments to his top spooks is on page 1 of the Times? Crucify the sunuvabitch. Make him go to mandatory sensitivity training. Ban him from being a Rodeo Clown for life.

[Clarice Feldman]

nytol

[Bubarooni]

CH, the first time I ever saw them was at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum(?)in Indy.

Stuck with them thru thick and thin ever since.

Of course, I'm a rabid I.U. football fan too, so I'm used to the 'thin' side of that.

Having Bird at the helm has only reinforced my adoration.

First time I ever saw Larry Bird was at a regional tourney high school game.

I was young and distracted by Coca-Cola and popcorn.

I remember my Dad saying something like 'That guy there is Larry Bird. He's a helluva ballplayer.' I thought, 'yeah....'

In my mind, he's the greatest ballplayer ever.

Johnny Most has told me so too.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

G'nyt, Clarice. Sleep tasty

[narciso]

billy the bomber's colleague seems to be running into some slack,

https://faustasblog.com/2017/05/puerto-rican-parade-pullouts/

[daddy]

So 2 champions of the Left went down today:

"Carlos Danger"

and Klansman Bob Beckel:

Anybody know if these things come in 3's?

[narciso]

pipe down medici,

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/334302-bush-i-predicted-trump-would-be-a-chaos-president

[lurkersusie]

Yep

"Fuck the New York Times," Trump said. "They're not our friends. We're never going to win them over," he added, according to a Trump insider.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-f-the-new-york-times/article/2623596

[lurkersusie]

A Turkish man on board a Honolulu-bound flight tried to break into the cockpit Friday before being subdued by passengers and flight crew, who used duct tape, pillows and blankets to make sure he couldn’t get out of his seat.

The incident prompted U.S. Pacific Command to scramble two F-22 Raptors from the Hawaii Air National Guard, which escorted the flight into Honolulu International Airport about 11:35 a.m.http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/breaking-turkish-man-arrested-attempting-break-cockpit-honolulu-flight-video/

[Dave (in MA)]

I heard Wiener comes in 16s.

[narciso]

seriously what are they smoking over there,

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/news/transportation/blog.html?b=business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/fossil-fuel-vehicles-will-vanish-in-8-years-in-twin-death-spiral-for-big-oil-and-big-autos-says-study-that-shocking-the-industry

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Home from the concert. They opened with massed band, orchestra and all choirs singing the Sandi Patty version of the Star SSSpangled banner, the one she sang when they re-lit the Statue of Liberty.

The second verse, written for the occasion, is this:

And still we can see
As the years have gone by
There’s a dream in our land
Like a flame that keeps burning

And the lantern of hope
From the harbor still shines
Those who seek freedom’s dream
To its light are still turning

Now we look to the stars
And we lift up our eyes
For we know with the dawn
We will see our Flag rise

And this is our spangled
Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free
And the home of the brave

America!
My Home!
America!

(And this is our Star-Spangled
Banner unfurled
As a light to the free,
and a hope to the world!)

==============

Right after that song henry's link to the story about what was going on in the Middle East popped up, and I couldn't help but think of a hopeful future.

Lots of movie themes and pop songs (this is the "fun" end-of=-year concert) but they ended with Battle Hymn of the Republic and Stars and Stripes Forever.

Granddaughter will probably only play her violin as a hobby from now on, so this is the last concert in which I will see her perform, so I was very glad I go to go.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

Mr. Teabagger brings more class to our society:

Anderson Cooper to Jeffrey Lord: You'd defend Trump if he 'took a dump on his desk'

This is a journalist?

[daddy]

I remember my Dad saying something like 'That guy there is Larry Bird. He's a helluva ballplayer.' I thought, 'yeah....'

Two nights back we came into Indy from the North East, landing south on RWY 23L. You cross Initial Approach FIX "LLary" at 5000, descending to 4000 feet at "BBird," then hit Final Approach Fix "Pacer" at 2,600, then land and hustle to the downtown Indy Sports bars that stay open till 3 AM.

[narciso]

this bit of flotsam popped in a once great publication, harpers.

http://www.bruno-latour.fr/sites/default/files/151-NOTRE-DAME-2016.pdf

[Jack is Back!!]

What a thread. Good stuff. Read it on the back deck while the Beagles finished their night duty. Ready for sleep.

May God protect and keep Trump safe from both his domestic and foreign enemies, of which the domestic ones appear to be the more dangerous. Like Ben Crenshaw said before the singles matches at Brookline for the Ryder Cup: "I have a funny feeling about this".

Slaap lekker, tot morgen.

[Captain Hate]

CH, the first time I ever saw them was at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum(?)in Indy.

Was that when they were in the ABA? Fun fact: in the 1977 playoffs, following the merging of the NBA and ABA and the dispersal draft of the players of the teams that didn't make the cut, there were four different teams playing in the conference finals from the previous year; the next time that happened was in 2006.

[Captain Hate]

Vanderbilt Poofter is mentally not all there.

[daddy]

"Fuck the 'Failing' New York Times."

Fixed it for you, Mister President!

[Captain Hate]

LOL Dave.

[glasater]

I am so late in thanking the JOM crew for the birthday wishes.

Have not caught up on the previous thread but Thomas Collins and I share a birthday and I wish him Happy Birthday from 2k plus miles away :-)

When I saw a special counsel or commission had been appointed for 'Russia' I thought 'here we go again' in revisiting the Libby days here on the blog. And the news did resurrect Tops with whom I keep track a little on twitter along with a few other JOM alum.

Something that keeps me off the radar is my little photography business has grown into a real estate listing photo business. The local RE agents need spiffy pictures for Zillow and other internet sites so they come to me for that need.

So love to all my JOM pals and especially Jane who it seems started the ball rolling in the birthday wishes department.

And for TK, a special thanks. You make me laugh so many times and that is great in troubling times.

[DrJ]

AB,

Economist was on the downhill slide fifteen years ago.

Probably so. The last five years have been insufferable. The rot may well have set in earlier.

[narciso]

ah nigel tufnel was never more prescient,

http://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=10342

[daddy]

Lurker Susie's 10:28 also says this about the Turkish guy who allegedly tried to bust into the cockpit of the LA to Honolulu Flight:

Man arrested for trying to breach #AA31 was arrested/cited/released for trespassing at LAX early Fri. for breaching a security door.

The man, identified as 25-year-old Anil Uskanil...was involved in a separate security incident and was detained but subsequently released.

Police said the suspect went through a door from a LAX concourse that led onto an airfield ramp. He was spotted by a contractor and detained.

Airport police investigated and determined that Uskanil had been drinking. He was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing, cited and released.

Then hopped on the Hawaii flight and tried to take it over.

[Captain Hate]

HB glasater.

Degrees in Pointless Gestures: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/notre-dame-students-plan-to-walk-out-of-pences-commencement-speech/article/2623630

[Bubarooni]

I luv it Daddy!

If your ever in Bloomington for a game send me a shout out ahead if time.

There are a lot of great places down here.

Dang, get Miss Marple down here too.

If you are stand teenagers,let's make it happen on a football weekend.

[Bubarooni]

If you can stand teenagers.

That's be what I meant!

[daddy]

I'd defend Trump if he took a dump on Anderson Cooper's desk.

And speaking of defending bodily discharges in the Oval Office:

[narciso]

And more pure stark raving:

http://m.truthdig.com/report/item/dancing_with_the_devil_trumps_politics_of_fascist_collaboration_20170517

He wrote some essay about the bushes at some point, but the brainslug is about ready to explode

[narciso]

This may have been it:

https://www.henryagiroux.com/online_articles/crusade.htm

[narciso]

Btw rdditt seems to have shutdown the Donald for some reason or another