Is Trump trying to purge the government of disloyal elements?
By Thom Hartmann A...
In his State of the Union speech this week Donald Trump asked Congress to give him the power to purge cabinet agencies. He said:
"Tonight I call on the Congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people."
In other words, Donald Trump is saying, "I would like Ryan Zinke over at Interior to be able to fire the government employees who are standing up for our public lands, I would like Scott Pruitt over at the EPA to be able to fire anybody who works for the Environmental Protection Agency who's really working to protect the environment. We'll replace them all with toadies provided to us by Monsanto and the big chemical companies - Koch Industries, ExxonMobil. They've got a lot of people that they'd be glad to stock the EPA with."
That's essentially what he was saying. Now, congressman Mark Pocan said on the show that he thought that this was maybe an effort to destroy the unions that represent federal employees, because he had seen Scott Walker do that with state employees in the state of Wisconsin, because the federal employees unions will go to bat for people who are arbitrarily fired.
And I think that would be a twofer, but I think the real big issue here is how you run a government. He was asking Congress to undo laws that have been passed over literally the last hundred years or more - this is not some recent unionization thing.
Back before Abraham Lincoln, prior to the Civil War and for the first 30 years or so after the Civil War, the executive branch of government was one of the most corrupt branches of government. The opinion of government had fallen so low because it was so corrupt.
Here's how it worked: every time a new president came in, they literally fired everybody and replaced all those hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands as time went on, and the federal government got larger and larger. They would fire everybody and replace them with cronies and donors. So the result of that was just massive widespread corruption within the executive branch - within the branch of government that is under the president's purview: within the Justice Department, within the EPA, within the Transportation Department, within the Education Department, within Health and Human Services. Whatever it would be if those agencies existed back a hundred years ago, they would be totally corrupt.
The Pentagon, the military, totally corrupt, filled with cronies of Ulysses S Grant, for example. So Congress said, we've got to do something about this. So what they did was they said okay, we're going to set it up so that at the highest level, the secretaries, the director and the assistant director, they can be appointed by the president.
So he gets to make I think it's around 3500 appointments, there's about 3500 people in the federal government that the president can say, okay I can put my campaign donor, I can put Betsy DeVos in as Secretary of Education - she made big contributions to my campaign, she's a multi-billionaire and she cares about education, she wants to have our federal support for public schools decimated and replace it all with private school money and particularly Christian school money. So cool I can do that.
But he can't go to his Department of Education employees and just randomly fire them because they support public education or because they might be registered Democrats. You can't do that and the government, our government, our Congress, a hundred years ago or in that neighborhood passed laws to put these into place to prevent corruption.
Now, with that background listen again to what Donald Trump said in his State of the Union speech:
"Tonight I call on the Congress to empower every Cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people."
Now what the hell does 'fail the American people' mean? That is not a phrase of law. Those are political weasel words. So what he wants, what Trump is asking for, in my opinion, and I believe I'm absolutely right on this, is he wants Scott Pruitt to be able to do a purge of the Environmental Protection Agency - those damn people who believe in global climate change, we've got to get them out of there.
And I was shocked when I heard this.
As Mark Sumner writes over at Daily Kos, "Trump's State of the Union included a call to purge the government of disloyal elements". He writes:
"Most government workers are protected from being fired without cause explicitly so that each change in administration doesn't bring with it a wholesale swap of every slot. Those rules were put in place more than a century ago after the government faced enormous problems with patronage and corruption explicitly because every slot in the existing government was open to being flushed when a new resident moved into the White House."
What Trump is trying to do is he's trying to undo a hundred years of anti-corruption laws.
This is huge.
Comments
#2
Well, he did say he was going to drain the swamp. Just not in a way we expected. It's filling back up with an invasive species, and of course, it's still a swamp.
#3
Hey Thom!
You got the title wrong.
- It should read:
- GOP Leader Plunges Government Country further into Darkness -
- GOP staff has no clue as to what a flashlight is.
#4
I appologise from the start of this. However; I'm from Western NC and still reside. I have watched the news reports tonight and unfortunately; it is much deeper than I suspected. The ( Russian thing, and; I have commented on a slow moving coop before). I just made the connection of Charles Taylor ( Congressman from WNC "before Mark Meadows") Seems I remember a lot of talk about Russian money back then. He made several in Jackson Co. NC very wealthy and probably surrounding ones as well. Mr. Taylor rode off embarrassed that he lost to Heath Shuler who ran as a democrat (although turned out to be a Blue Dog D. and only served till he had lifelong healthcare). Then comes Meadows (with all the Charles Taylor contacts). And then he comes on the tube defending the treason of this Mob Boss? Shame we decided to enable Russia to become capatilist. There's is "unbridaled" capitalism, and we a seeing what that can do now; ain't we?
#5
I bet we will see lots of Russian money when we get around to dissecting the Clinton Crime Foundation.
Weeks of Dems screaming the sky will fall if the memo came out....now Comey says
" is that all there is"....Would be funny if it wasn't so sad!
Let the Grand Jury sort it out.
#6
Welcome democratic fascism combined with corporatism in America
"The land of the free and the home of the brave.”
A new poitical system
#7
Off topic but symbolic
#8
#1 Reynolds
Do you even understand what Thom was explaining about?
The extreme corruption and over reach of the executive branch, that took place in the PAST. And the protective laws that then followed to stop it... Which by the way, still do apply TODAY!
He then explained about the correlation between those protective laws, and the policies that "Donny" would like to enact-that would completely undermine and destroy them...
He then continued to explain; about the corrupt, deregulatory, partisan and corporate, power grab motives behind it all!
Whether you agree, or disagree with his synopsis and then analysis, is totally irrelevant...
Im just wondering if you can even comprehend this explanation and comparison of his? Or is it just too complicated for your simple, foxmorized brain?!?
#9
Diane. Jefflisse is right can't you see, you need this to stop high ranking government officials, from paying someone to make a fake dossier to give to other high ranking government officials at I don't know lets say the CIA or FBI so they could justify a unjustified FISA warrant to spy on something like a candidate running for President. I can't speak for Jeff but I think this is what he means.
#10
Kend,
Thanks for splainin that to me, but wouldn't it have been easier to just require every politician to carry a QuikClot dressing to stop the bleeding when they get stabbed in the back by their opponents. They all seem so good at that.
This is kind of mindful of Obama weaponizing the FBI and the DOJ he also had Lois Lerner of the IRS going after conservative groups -- she had to resign. Now we have Andrew McCabe "retiring" early. Hummmm. Sounds like Trump was correct after all.
#11
Thom,
Your show is great, thanks for providing this info. My first comment: VOTE.
Second i am a dod employee. The assult on the dod has been going on for many years. In our org hiring is done through a persons connections, usally through church networks.
And dont even bother with applying for a promotion if your not in the right.
The exceptions for temporary hires, have been exploited to fill the ranks with the cronies.
So although you are correct in saying that this is a new development it is an understatement.
#12
Hay dianeroroylensass?,
You seem well versed on history, when is D.T. going to fess up to his russian connections that are public record. Or were they all under the table deals with the russian org crime. How much money do the trumps owe the bank of russia?
And what about the 1.5 trillion the gop just stuck my kids with so rednecks can go out and buy a new .44?
And really does anyone still buy the crap that walmart sells.
Run this through the rush data base and let me know what liberial conspiracy theory applies.
#13
Election Fraud
If Elected officials commit Election Fraud to get elected, these
Criminals would most Likely commit other Crimes as well.
They are motivated by corruption money.
#14
Great news fellow right-wingers!!!! Trump has pronounced himself totally vindicated by the Nunes memo!!!
No more will conservatives be accused of being delusional, sycophantic lemmings, bigoted, sexual abusing, pathological lying, greedy, heartless sociopathic traitors and child-fucking abettors!! No No No!!! Never again!! Trump has pronounced himself cleared…innocent of all charges…a victim of the biggest witch-hunt in American history, and the Nunes memo proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. What more would any sane, rational person need? How can there be any doubt? Trump has declared it is so, therefore all the world must believe it, and if you don't believe it, then just read the Nunes memo. Haven't you "crazy lefty, liberals ever heard the president say over and over again,"believe me"? What could you possibly not understand about that?
Didn't he promise the American people over and over again, that if elected president he would always be busy in the White House doing the business of the people…not out playing golf all the time, like his African American predecessor. So see, there can be no doubt about his honesty!!! "Believe Me"
Time to stop the investigation! Fuck this shit about gathering facts, interviewing witnesses, evidence from wiretaps approved by the FISA courts, evidence from email accounts, and even two guilty pleas!! Just like everything you need to know is in the bible…everything you need to believe is spoken by President Trump!
I have included a link below, of the typical type of leftwing propaganda that you should ignore from now on. Now that President Trump has proved beyond any doubt that the Russian investigation is nothing but a complete hoax and fake news!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-gop-followed-trump-off-104522421.html
#15
Jeff, Judging by the nonsensical post, I don't believe Reynolds even read Thom's blog, let alone comprehend reality. The Kochbaggers posting on this site are embarrassed to admit how wrong they have been all along....complete suckers for the piggish elite , and now their pompous egos won't allow reality to trickle back in....if only they knew how completely idiotic and weak minded they appear to the rest of us.
#16
stopgap....LMAO....but things really are that ridiculous, Kend, Coffee, Reynolds, Door Knob, Bachmann, etc. all could have posted your words and been dead serious.
#17
Oldskoold...I have a few "activist" anti- fascist friends in the hills outside of Asheville...did you happen to see any Trump yard signs changed to Rump by fairies in the night around your parts....LOL?
#18
Thom must realize that DeVos, Zinke, Pruitt, and the rest of the fill the swamp creatures have been bitching to Felonoius Donny about lack of cooperation from the sane people working in their respective agencies. Thus his anti-american sentiment to not honor the will of the vast majority....just fire those who would represent the 99%.
#19
No doubt about it 10K. These idiots are true believers. In fact, I've come to believe that mocking them, is literally making fun of the mentally ill.
Nevertheless, aside from drugs for psychotic behavior, there is no chance for bringing them to their senses. Therefore, might as well make fun of them!!!
After all, its only the survival of the planet that hangs in the balance…"beautiful, clean coal." I'd love to see these fucking idiots, eat, drink and breath coal. Maybe they could feed it to their kids at Easter? Yum! Yum! Instead of an Easter Egg Hunt, they could hunt for lumps of coal.
I do encourage anyone to check out the link in my last post. It perfectly describes what were up against. As if the Nunes memo doesn't say it all about these Nazi nimrods! They will believe anything that fits the narrative that they want to believe. Apparently, facts are for sissies.
But, I almost forgot. They have what they consider the ultimate defensive weapon. The "what about Hillary" defense. True, they don't have any real facts to support it, but their obsession with hating the Clintons is all they need, and all they will ever need.
#20
The way he said beautiful clean coal was like screeching nails on a chalkboard.
#21
Paul Ryans secratary takes home $1.50 per week more after the tax cuts.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/paul-ryan-slammed-over-tweet-praising-tax-cut...
#22
On this beautiful Super Bowl morning I have found yet another giant Christmas present in reading the stammering rants of alt-left socialists. Especially road runner, who actually admitted he had "buddies" out altering Trump campaign signs. How fcuking clever you and your band of irrelevant turds have become. Jesus man, grow up and get a grip.
But, on a brighter note, thanks for sharing your usual morning cup of bitterness and negativity making the day for so many deplorable normal working people.
Time for you to re-medicate, pull down your little pink pussy hat, and head for your safe place for the rest of the day where you can "bunker up" with other malcontents of the same ilk.
#23
Why do you constantly complain Diane. If you do not like what you read you do not have to read it.
#24
Oh Rick Steve, you completely miss the point. I delight in reading and listening the rantings of leftie/socialists. It completely reinforces my point that there are real crazies out there and some of them actually believe the crap they push out in the media. Paranoid tin foil hat wearers have always been an entertaining oddity don't you think?
#25
Keep reading Dianereynolds. Maybe someday......hopefully before trump & his republican suck ups destroy the country.......Maybe you will wise up and see that you are describing yourself with your holier than thou posts. Maybe then you will be rid of your "paranoid tin foil hat".
#26
Yes, who better to prove our points about the sycophantic, bigoted, sexual abusing, pathological lying, greedy, heartless, sociopathic traitors of the Republican party, than the queen of delusional rationalizing and cheerleader of rightwing child fuckers everywhere…the one and only, Diane "fucking clever…irrelevant turd" Reynolds. In fact, you save us the time of documenting the pervasive insanity of Republicans just by your very postings. So, keep it up! Merry Christmas!!!
Yours truly, Santa Claus
#27
Reynolds #24
What the f#@k is it with all you "Foxnotized", "Russian limpdick"(Rush Limbaugh) followers?!? You've got this "psycho- sexual hangup with women's genitalia!
Just curious... What's it all about?
#28
Diane, It seems that everyone agrees that your posts are factless low IQ posts. You constantly complain. You constantly call people childish names. Why not go to some other site and make a fool of yourself.
#29
@#26
Just one days featured comments from our “rational” feathered friend.
This deplorable suggests it may be you who needs the medication.
@#27
You found a reference to vaginas in my post #24? Maybe you should coop up with the pigeon boy and study up for an ink blot test.
#30
Did anybody see Anthony Scaramucci ( the "Mooch") on "Real Time" this week?
Very entertaining!! He sounded like a fast talking, smooth, New York mobster... You would think, a perfect fit for the "Dons" communications director.
What l want to know is... Why he only lasted 11 days in the Trump "crime family" administration?!?
#31
Yes Daffy Di, Just like Fox News…I put it on a loop and rub it in your bigoted, Nazi-Fascist face, over and over and over again. Apparently, that somehow is supposed to make it true. Admittedly, I don't have all the red white and blue-bells and whistles and bleach blonde news models to, as Bush would say, "catapult the propaganda." But again, thank you for taking the time to pull your head out of Sean Hannity's despicable ass long enough to chime in with more proof of Republican sycophantic delusions.
And for that, you get another lump of "beautiful clean coal."
Merry Xmas, Santa
And by the way, if factual descriptions of Republican behavior are so offensive to you, maybe you should consider supporting another party?
#32
lol
#33
So sorry Reynolds... It was your # 22 post.
But l stick by my observation. You and "kendoll" and "corndog" and "lavajava"and "sticky doorknobs" all have a problem with female genitalia... Why?
Your always making fun of strong assertive women! Or you compare us progressives to female anatomy, with your absolutely nasty comments about pink pussy hats... Or...
All your disgusting comments about the woman's march...
I guess you all would feel better if women stayed home (in the kitchen with an apron on)Popping one child after another..out of their vaginas!
As the bible says they should...
Like all the women in that good, Christian family... The Duggers!?!
Hallelujah... Amen... And merry "fuckn" Christmas!!!
#34
Diane why is it the the left who preaches tolerance are the one who attack everyone who disagrees with them. I can't believe how mean they can get. All of this hate even though the this administration is doing a great job. The economy is doing great, minority's are finally getting the good jobs they deserve, everyone is getting a tax cut, many are getting raises. America is the envy of the world and all they have is hate. I will never understand. I may disagree with them but I have never called them names.
#35
Checked out the Fox Official Site earlier. Looks to me like the Right doesn't have much tolerance either. Angry self righteous people. It was a fun read. But now, back to reality.
#36
#34 it is you Kend, Diane and the other right wing trolls that are constantly complaining. Post some facts sometime. Work at it. Not just your opinion.
#37
Oh Dear Kend, Please forgive us for not turning the other cheek while we stand by and watch our democracy being stolen out from under our feet by a pathological lying, con-man thug and his sycophantic ass kissers. After all, who could deny the incredible achievements of the his majesty, Donald J. Trump. and his amazing turn around of the economy that was losing 850 thousand jobs a month when the Black African American was president? Who could doubt the amazing turn around of the stock market that had lost half its value when the N-word president was running the show? Who could deny the incredible turn around since the time when houses lost half their value and evictions were at record levels while the leftwing commie Kenyan was president? Who could imagine such a miraculous economic recovery since the crazy socialist leftwing Obama plunged us into the worst recession since the great depression? Not to mention the American auto crisis that nearly shut down all our major auto companies and the free fall of our banks and loan companies during the horrible and terrible rein of the terrible dictator Obama.
Yes, were an ungrateful bunch. Trump certainly deserves all the credit for turning around all the terrible things that Obama did to this country.
What? What…all these terrible things actually happened during the Conservative Bush administration? What…Bush left the economy in shambles and it was actually Obama that did all these things to turn around the housing crisis, the auto industry crisis, the home mortgage crisis and the banking crisis? What…it was Bush that lied us into a never ending war that has plunged the US into trillions of dollars of new debt?
But of course, Republican conservatives expect us to bow down and kiss the ass of this pussy-grabbing , thin-skinned, egomaniacal blowhard that actually lost the election by 3 million votes, despite the help of his Russian oligarch buddies and treasonous Republican vote suppressing, confederates. Yes, we are supposed to kneel down and kiss the ring of Herr Trump as he takes credit for all the progress that was made during the Obama era and rides the prosperity tidal wave of the Obama presidency. Even as he re-institutes the very same policies of the Bush era that brought the economy and the country to its knees.
But just like he inherited the wealth of his father and takes credit for being a financial genius, now he takes credit of the achievements of the previous administration and pretends to be a great president. And of course, his bigot sycophant supporters believe every word of their great white savior.
I know! How could we not be gracious by not honoring Trump's one great achievement…the 2 trillion dollar looting of the treasury for the purpose of doling out massive tax breaks to his billionaire supporters while tossing out chicken feed to his drooling, wide eyed, adoring followers?
I'm sorry Kend, if I don't bend over and take a good rightwing fucking like Obama did when he chose not to seek accountability for the crimes and excesses and treasonous doings of the Bush/Cheney cabal. But war is war! Republicans have declared war on American democracy and need to be held accountable.
#38
Nice rant stopgap... You and deepspace both have a flair for words. Very well said!
#39
I see it's another sore loser day in leftie/socialist land. The two most secure jobs in America, feather-brains therapist and pharmacist.
Thanks for the morning humor and Merry Christmas!!!
#40
#39. Another fact free, meaningless post from Diane. That all that right wing trolls do.
#41
Hey, Rick Steve;
1. While you are scouring Al Gores internet searching for facts, please point out where conservative posters here are "always complaining". It would be very telling for you to point out the difference between jabbing and complaining. I need not follow my own advice and point out to you where leftie/socialists go off the rails. All you have to do is spend one minute reading some of the above posts.
2. Regarding your constact facts BS, I will follow and agree with Thom Hartmann's statement that he is not a journalist but he is just expressing his opinion. I will do the same and if it bothers you please do not respond. It will ease your IBS and keep you much healthier.
#42
At least, Daffy Di, we are aware of the loss that the nation and the world is suffering under the moronic, delusional, so called leadership of our first Russian president, while the Trumpers, like the frog in the slowly heated pan of water, are blissfully pigheaded, content to never consider the reality of their eventual doom or that they have the option to jump out of the pan. Instead they dutifully line up, dragging along their children and grandchildren for another dose of kool-aid.
#43
#44
Diane, It is your constant repetition of low IQ complaining. There is nothing intelligent about it and you are contstantly repeating the same thing. Your calling people names is really immature. Where did you get that from? Oh yeah, the immature POTUS.
#45
It is disheartning to read the response of vitriol and sarcasm from those that feel a "blind loyalty" to anyone, either out of fear or ignorance in holding condemnation to others who do their homework in discovering the wrongdoing, or possible wrongdoing of someone in a leadership role. How long would our personal communities, churches, law enforcement, schools and places of employment last if we allowed a few "diehards" loyal to the one responsible for undermining true value, to continue in their personal and possibly profitable ventures without being called on the carpet.
It isn't as if "nothing" is going on. Contrary to popular "belief" SOMETHING is going on to make others sit up and pay attention. President Trump likes to make the people of this country think that just because he is President, that he has our needs in mind. Wouldn't seem so, just by "objective" observation. People, it seems, have become distracted by their own subjective mind-set, let alone their cell phones, and uninformed ego's to a point of not being able to sort through the chaos with any kind of opinion that makes sense (common sense). Trump is not a King, a deity, a god, or an exalted leader. His demeanor, his language (body and vernacular) give him away so many times. I hold no hate for anyone. I do however, have come to distrust and disrespect him on many levels.
I think a good percentage of people have lost the ability to discern any information that is given, rather they just utilize reactionary measure to those they oppose which speak on observation to any situation regardless if it is their own family, their political party, President (they voted for) or any person they blindly follow. Case in point: How many priests' have been brought out of hiding and prosecuted for their sex crimes. Or, because a person is Catholic, just could not subscribe to the idea that they did wrong?
As Thom has pointed out. How many laws and changes to correct wrongdoing in the past have been implemented to prevent and block the way people have been treated and created to protect environment, persons and human rights, etc. to allow one.....just one ( with the backing and "vetting" of the percentage of certain citizens) to change it all with the whimsical sweep of the hand, so to speak? It defies common sense, period.
Like those that believe our blood is blue. Even after being demonstrated with pure science that our blood is red, there are still those that go, "nope, our blood is blue", and will believe it until they pass out of our dimension. That is scary for sure. Then there is our Republican "Party" full of followers whom really have one adenda......themselves. It isn't rocket science folks! Plain old OBSERVATION! When you write an address on an envelope, do you notice if it is correct? If not, will it reach its destination? The same goes for anything in this world, our PLANET, If it doesn't look right I don't care how much you feel loyal to an ideal, it must change to the proper address to complete its mission.
#46
Sore losers...
We are ALL the losers! RIGHT and LEFT!!
At least us on the LEFT can "see" it! Our once great "Democracy"...
The "envy of the world" according to Kend. Has been subverted and taken over by the corporate elite.
The puppet masters who are pulling the strings in..not just our federal and state houses! But, in damn near everything we need to survive in this world! They control most of the...
Food we eat.
Energy we use.
Currency we spend.
Health care we need.
Media we digest.
Weapons we buy.
The roof over our heads.
The clothes on our backs.
The drugs we're addicted to...
And yes, even the toilet paper we use to wipe our asses everyday!!
#47
For those that are not old enough to remember Watergate and how it played out for 2 years. This Russiagate is very similar.
#48
You are definitely on to something there Jefflisse. I don't know when ( I wonder if anyone does) it started to happen, but it is at a level far surpassing when it originated. We have been slowly spoon-fed all of the above in your comment. Subliminal. That is why I say that we need to STOP the current way we think of most things. Facts are different than opinions of something. However, as a man I used to work with said, "If you put up the bluff long enough, people wil eventually give you the benefit of the doubt".
It is unfortunately an inert ability, that seems to have outgrown its' original intent. To be trusting of those around you, like children around the adults we grew up with. Some adults are devious and prey on the children. We used to have a natural impluse to believe and trust. However, we unfortunately have to live in a culture that is full of constant marketing where we are inundated with this and that, and feel like we have to make emotional decisions immediately or we will be frowned upon by others. I say to those....no more. My decisions are made by strict observation and forthright evidence to ensure it is right.
When we purchase fuel for our automobiles, we surely believe it is not watered down and cause us to have problems with our cars. How long would we tolerate for this kind of thing to happen? The same goes for the political end of nonsense. I for one do not feel like I would follow the leader if he was going to step off of a cliff (with him the only one wearing a parachute) and believe it was going to be okay. I think not. However, there are those that will and do just that. Therefore, we have the problems we now have.
#49
I remember Watergate also. It would seem to be even more scary, as it seems the "faction" that backs this country's leader are far more corrupt and you watch stupid crap coming out of the woodworks. Makes me wonder if it can be stopped. (?)
#50
#33
To the contrary, I actually showed you a progressive, assertive democratic woman.
I think you passed over my comment because she has all you claim to like, yet is cappable of maintaining her dignity in the process. Her name is Tulsi Gabbard, Dem. Hawaii.
Please tell me ....what ISN"T hippocritical about a bunch of Harvey Winestein huggers..Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner lovers calling out Trump with Pussy hats. You claim that Trump offends the children with his tweets, yet the fowl mouths on the left betray your claims.You claim to stand for women, but vote for someone who tried every way she could to destroy women for exposing her husband....give me a break!
All you are doing is muddying up the truth so you won't have to discuss the facts.
I know it's wide & deep but perhaps you should pull your head out of hillary's.....
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