There are only two kinds of people when it comes to Trump:
Those who see that he's a grifter and stay away
And
Those who see he is a grifter and think they can profit from associating with him.

Yes, of course that's your prediction. I am somewhat impressed that it is understated compared to some of what you write.

Now the Director of the Secret Service is getting the boot.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.4e9b1c28cbdd

Secret Service Director Randolph ‘Tex’ Alles to leave Trump administration

A former senior Customs official and retired Marine Corps general, Alles was the 25th director of the agency that is a part of the Department of Homeland Security. The announcement of his departure comes a day after the ouster of DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

“Mr. Alles will be leaving shortly and President Trump has selected James M. Murray, a career member of the USSS, to take over as director beginning in May,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Are you impressed that it's understated compared to the misanthrope Trump wants to put in the position? "Hey, let's get Travis, he always thinks the worse and speaks in hyperbole".

Looks like the sky really is falling, guys.

Because he has only played one on TV, not in real life?

Well if the reporting is true that Trump wanted Nielson to do hugely illegal things and thought the child separation policy wasn't cruel enough...what else is there? I'm just pointing out the logical conclusion of all the policies and actions of the administration leads to a dark place.

I suspect Trump is entirely indifferent to the suffering of others, even work associates. That means he would not care if the children were treated badly or kindly, as long as it benefited him ultimately. So I don't believe Trump is deliberately cruel.

However the same cannot be said for Stephen Miller, the architect of the einsatz aktionen on the southern border. He has been the one Trump-whispering, and has been ably assisted by Bolton and Nielson. If I were on a future Senate committee researching the disaster that has happened with the immigration from Mexico, I would be withholding their passports.

The Trump administration is in a Race for Cruelty with crime-controlled areas in South America, thinking that if they can be nastier than drug lords killing with impunity, migrants will stay home.
Do these people ever stop to think?

Sorry, stop to...what??

I believe Trump isn't really trying to make the migrants stay home. He is just being cruel because that's what his base likes. He is making things worse in those countries, which is encouraging more refugees to come to the USA border. The goal, I think, is to create a big crisis at the border so that he can point to the border as a problem and win the next election on the issue. It should be noted that border patrol is short-staffed because of Trump. In short:

1. Act tough and be mean at our border.
2. Make things worse in South/Central America to encourage more refugees.
3. Blame Democrats for the crisis on the border that he creates.
4. Win 2020 election with xenophobia. (along with election fraud and disenfranchisement)

Trump thinks he is in a negotiation with the leaders of the origin countries of migrants, as well as Mexico.
It's his standard MO to demand that others deal with and pay for issues that are his responsibility.

I don't understand what you're saying here.

Interesting that he's losing another general. Can people really look at this exodus and not wonder why Trump can't keep good help?

Wonder what Alles did that's so bad. Was it that thing at Mar-a-lago?

Miller, Neilson and Bolton need investigation for how they have created a tragedy on the Mexican border by nefariously influencing porridge-brained Trump. There will be a reckoning for them in the future that will make the Mueller enquiry look like a boy scout camp. They need to be held to account. So they should not be allowed to flee the country, perhaps with Trump, to escape this justice.

Could be. Hadn't thought of that.

I'm thinking it's to do with the Mexican border still not being closed. Trump wants it closed and the people he sacked didn't want it closed.

If I was elected President in 2020 I'd appoint an AG who would take all of them along with the entire administration of ICE into custody (as well as all law enforcement that cooperated with ICE) and turn them over to The Hague for prosecution for crimes against humanity.

Congratulations to you for having such and enlightened attitude.

Does this mean that you are still supportive of the Iraq War?

You know darned good and well I feel that war was a huge mistake. Why try and take this whole thing off topic?

I hope it does not come to armed resistence to a viscous tyranny, but won't hurt to get in some target practice.

ANd 90% of American Businessmen and Economists think closing the border is a terrible idea which, humantirarian concerns aside, is certain to crash the US Economy. But then Donnie knows better then the experts;his gut feelings are better then knowledge.

I agree Travis's idea is far fetched but you lost me with your second post.
Or have you never made a stupid mistake?

But MAGA!

Make America Grotesque Again.

This Administration is rather thick and sticky...

Embarrassingly, I've only just noticed that Scott Gottlieb resigned. I thought he was by far one of the best Trump appointees (whenever people asks about any good that Trump had done, Gottlieb's appointment was one of the few really serious replies I could muster) and I'm not clear why he'd leave now. Any of you guys heard anything?

Which reminds me of the time Trump started throwing out tarriffs. A reporter asked the White House for a list of economists who were supportive of tarriffs and got back a list of two. One was indeed a economics professor, but he thought tarriffs was a terrible idea, and the other was an amateur blogger with no scholarly background in economics.

Well, the last posting I saw from you on this issue was where you said:

Therefore, since you supported the murder of tens of thousands of Iraqis (and perhaps far more), then I find it difficult to believe that you are so terribly concerned about how the people at ICE have been behaving.

I see you indeed don't think people should be allowed to make mistaken judgements.

Don't know if this qualifies but after 4 GOP senators had negative comments on Herbert Cain, looks as if his floated nomination to the Fed is DOA.
Another Trump nominee whose only qualification is blind loyalty to Trump.

George Will had a column today saying that this was another test for the Republican Senators to fail. Let's see if they fail the other test mentioned, Stephen Moore's nomination (also to the Fed).

Not to mention Cain's publicly demonstrated incompetence and creepy campaign in 2012. But then that never stopped a failed real estate shonk and grifter becoming president, did it.

Well then, you are seeing wrong.

I was just asking 'Travis' for clarification since he has issued such contradictory statements.

Looks like there is a chance Rick Perry might be leaving the Department of Energy.

From: http://time.com/5572897/rick-perry-e...uit-departure/
Energy Secretary Rick Perry is planning to leave the Trump administration and is finalizing the terms and timing of his departure, according to two people familiar with his plans. While Perry’s exit isn’t imminent and one person familiar with the matter said the former Texas governor still hasn’t fully made up his mind, three people said he has been seriously considering his departure for weeks.

So, a guy who didn't know what the Department of Energy actually did before he was appointed may be leaving the office. But despite being completely unsuited for the job, he managed to at least not get caught wasting money (like Zinke and his private flights) or lying to congress (Sessions). And he probably didn't give away any U.S. nuclear secrets. I guess that makes him a star in the Trump cabinet.

Timing is strange... right around when the Mueller report is to be released. But, I don't think there'd be any reason to suspect Perry was implicated. (Unless he thinks the Report will make Trump look really bad and doesn't want to be around it.)

Or is planning to challenge Trump in the primary.

That would be foolish... Trump pretty much has a hammerlock on the racist core of the Republican party, and I can't see them abandoning Trump for Perry.

Right, Trump would have to be unhorsed by scandal first. Maybe the Mueller report shows Trump doing something truly unforgivable, like having a shred of moral integrity after all. But if so, better for Perry to be prepared beforehand than circle like a vulture afterward.

Either that or he got caught groping an employee or something.

Probably not this. He's a Republican. If he had been caught doing something like that he'd be denying it.

Loudly. And repeatedly.

With aspersions being cast on whoever the victim was.

IOW, we'd hear about it.

Is Rick Perry one of those ultra-transparent people that sort of blend into the wallpaper even when he is the only person in the room?

We certainly haven't been hearing much from him since he was selected to head the Department of I-Forget-The-Other-One.

DC won't let him parade around with a handgun. There's a longing there that short trips home just won't fulfill. "Family reasons" will be the public face of that.

And there it is:
https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/sta...75584944922624

Bye, Rosenstein.

OK, who's next? Or better still, who's left?

They're trying to make sure there are no lefts in the government.

Rosenstein could have walked away smelling like his namesake instead of the compost heap aroma that's now stuck to him forever.

Someone has to be the furthest from the absolute right at any one time. That would make them the "most left" person in the house and thus subject to derision.

Think about it...

That's pretty much how the GOP handles it here.

They can claim that both Clintons and Obama are "leftists" without even cracking a smile.

And by comparison to their people it is true.

It helps them to keep the target moving.

The corollary is that, once they have "eliminated" the furthest left, there will still be people "on the left". Just not so far "on the left". Repeat, and soon enough you will be cutting your own left arm off to spite your right. Even though it is doing a Nazi salute.

Everybody here seems to have forgotten to enclose Rosenstein in triple parentheses. Of course, even I suspect he's got a book deal.

I saw a joke years ago that the modern definition of Leftist was "anyone slightly to the right of Ronald Reagan". It's gotten even worse since then.