We have a Begats Problem of Biblical proportions in the newly forming and fecund Trump.45 staffing universe.
Here’s one DNA mind thread. Trump begets Flynn. Flynn begets Deare. Deare begets criticism and chaos.
Trump.45 beheads Flynn. Trump.45 beheads Deare. New Guys don’t want the job. This is not the end of the problem. Begats are everywhere.
That’s what happens when forced conjugal intellectual relationships run rampant outside of the usual socially mediated policy restrictions. The Bible tells us so.
From New York Magazine (02/18/17):
Report: Senior National Security Council Aide Fired After Criticizing Trump by Chas Danner
The White House has fired a senior National Security Council aide after he was found to have criticized President Trump and administration officials at a private think-tank event. Politico reports that Craig Deare, the NSC’s senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, made the comments at an off-the-record roundtable discussion attended by a few dozen scholars at the Woodrow Wilson Center last week. Once the White House found out about the remarks, in which Deare apparently criticized Trump, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and the general dysfunction plaguing the Trump administration, as well as the president’s daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law/senior adviser, Jared Kushner.
It seems hard to believe that a member of the NSC would think they could do something like give “a detailed and embarrassing readout of Trump’s call with Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto” and not expect the White House to find out and fire them, but Deare, a former dean of administration at the National Defense University, was a political appointee who was added the NSC after Trump’s took office. Deare also reportedly criticized the power structure in the administration, specifically how senior national security aides did not have access to Trump.
It’s the second departure from the NSC in a week, following the ouster of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn after it was revealed that he had lied to administration colleagues regarding a call he conducted with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak while a member of Trump’s transition team. (Flynn also selected Deare.) Trump’s first choice to be Flynn’s replacement, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, has declined the job offer, citing “financial and family issues” after reportedly being told that he could not hire and fire his own staff on the NSC. MSNBC then reported on Friday that Harward had actually turned down the position because the White House wouldn’t meet certain conditions, which included making sure there was a clear chain of command, him having a direct line to the president, and the removal of political advisers like Steven Bannon from the NSC. According to the report, Harward was then asked to reconsider by the White House, and said he would, but opted to stick with his original decision after watching Trump’s bonkers press conference on Thursday.
Another allegedly top candidate for the national security adviser job, retired four-star general David Petraeus, did not advance to the interview phase because, according to the Wall Street Journal, the White House thought that his demands were unreasonable. “Whoever it is that would agree to take that position certainly should do so with some very, very significant assurances that he or she would have authorities over the personnel of the organization, that there would be a commitment to a disciplined process and procedures,” Mr. Petraeus said during an appearance at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
The remaining candidates for the position, former UN Ambassador (and Iraq War co-architect) John Bolton and a trio of retired Lieutenant Generals: Keith Kellogg, H.R. McMaster, and Robert Caslen. All four (and currently unknown potential other candidates) will reportedly meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida this weekend.
Deare must have thought he was living in former soft times. Where a discouraging word was not a capital offence.
Politico reports that Craig Deare, the NSC’s senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, made the comments at an off-the-record roundtable discussion attended by a few dozen scholars at the Woodrow Wilson Center last week. Once the White House found out about the remarks, in which Deare apparently criticized Trump, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and the general dysfunction plaguing the Trump administration, as well as the president’s daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law/senior adviser, Jared Kushner.
It seems hard to believe that a member of the NSC would think they could do something like give “a detailed and embarrassing readout of Trump’s call with Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto” and not expect the White House to find out and fire them, but Deare, a former dean of administration at the National Defense University, was a political appointee who was added the NSC after Trump’s took office. Deare also reportedly criticized the power structure in the administration, specifically how senior national security aides did not have access to Trump.
Now, it is true the Trump No Criticism Tolerated Opinion Enforcers are a little bit slow on the uptake. It took them about 10 days to digest and react to this latest betrayal of thought from a guy they vetted and picked. And, in truth, apparently Deare said him a mouthful or two.
But the real bottom line here is that the whole problem stems from, is due to, and is the direct responsibility of Trump.45 himself. His lack of knowledge, his lack of engagement, his lack of management skills, and his general governing incompetence. Trump is aiming for the “Look” and missing the lack of substance under the skin tan, military medals, and suave fast-talking of his minions.
In other words, all of these boo-boos are entirely unforced errors. No one imposed any of these deliberate personnel choices on Trump. They were not forced holdovers that Trump.45 ‘inherited’. He accepted these staffing choices voluntarily of his own free will. Trump.45 has stung himself, and then wonders why others are slow to offer pity, condolences, and understanding of his pain.
Make your bed. Lie in it, Bubbaleh.
Trump.45 ought to quit blaming everything bad on everyone else and start paying more attention to the only job America elected him to perform. Actually governing the country. Nobody needs to endure another ‘Great Job Donnie Boy’ self-congratulatory pat on the back for his modest electoral vote win and historic popular vote loss in November past..
Now that Trump.45 is holing his own National Security boat, and his landing teams have demonstrated repeated high level incompetence and failure, what is Trump’s answer? Double down and further restrict personnel choices to his inbred crew of misfits and incompetents inside the White House. Good plan, fellas. That ought to work just fine, considering your expanding record. At HUD, in the White House, at State, at Justice, at DOD, at Labor, just to mention a few of the personnel hot spots. The landing team’s Dumbos & Bumblers Squads. Trump’s First Teams on the ground.
Thus we have in short order, Admiral Harward and General Petraeus saying Adios bumblers, and heading in the opposite direction. Not even a Presidential cabinet level appointment, otherwise a Dream Job, is worth this mess.
Essentially both picks responded in effect, “I’m used to winning, and I’m not going to play with your second and third rate player picks. Fox News and right wing Fake News outlets are not professional training grounds for those with actual governing responsibility.”
The rebuff from Petraeus must rankle particularly strongly since Trump.45 went out of his way several times during the campaign to praise his skills, even if sometimes in that peculiar left-handed insulting sort of complimentary way he has. Like saying the General may have committed a crime, but it was only a little one, compared to the sins of others, and everybody loves those rascals, so why not Petraeus too.
Petraeus thus is showing a major disloyal and unappreciative rebuff after the Dear Leader offered him such generous half-hearted praise. General David may have a far more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of power patterns than some have given him credit for lately. At least he has demonstrated some rather finely honed survival skills.
Meanwhile, Trump.45 is very busy digging himself a deeper and deeper personnel competence deficit hole. All the while he fans his not so latent personal paranoia. Reasonable and experienced candidates for serious senior jobs will continue to shun, shy, run, and scramble away from Trump’s toxic stew of ideology and personnel selection buffoonery.
This most recent series of setbacks are not an Act of God, or an accident. They are becoming a regular pattern. America doesn’t need this. We deserve better.
As for Trump’s claimed “fine tuned machine” of an Administration, he ought to try going to a certified mechanic, instead of some guy operating out of a back yard garage, with a ramp for a car lift, installing second rate replacement auto parts at full retail markups.