Director Of National Intelligence

Lack Of Principle And Guts Of So Many Republicans Disillusioning!

Ronald 59 Comments

This author and blogger is so disillusioned at the lack of principle and guts of so many Republican Senators, as it seems more likely by the day that there will be little, if any, opposition to any of the most controversial Donald Trump Cabinet nominees.

By all reasonable judgment, the nominations of:

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

should be rejected for a multitude of reasons.

And this does not include another objectionable nominee, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security.

But at least four Senators would have to be willing to gamble their future and vote against, and that seems now highly unlikely.

Those most considered possible to oppose some, if not all, of these nominees, would include:

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Susan Collins of Maine
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
John Curtis of Utah (newly elected to succeed Mitt Romney)

Some other Republican Senators are also seen as possible holdouts, but not as likely as these four.

And even among these four, the truth is that Susan Collins is unreliable, and Mitch McConnell, despite his plans to retire, and his contempt for Donald Trump, cannot be considered in any way likely to vote against any of these nominees, when push comes to shove.

Murkowski and Curtis seem more likely, but the pressure on them and other Republicans is intense. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who first seemed likely to oppose Pete Hegseth, is now receiving blowback with her reelection race coming up in 2026, and Collins also faces reelection two years from now.

So the odds are that Trump will get all of his controversial Cabinet appointments confirmed, and the nation will face a Presidential cabinet with a number of ill qualified, and in some cases, totally terrifying, and reprehensible individuals who will undermine America and its population for the next four years at a minimum.

So this blogger and author is taking a break, escaping from the morass we are in, and will be back near the end of the year!

Trump And Nation To Be Confronted With Massive Foreign Policy Issues Immediately Upon Inauguration On January 20!

Ronald 7 Comments

Like it or not, Donald Trump is going to face massive foreign policy issues immediately upon inauguration six weeks from today.

Trump has said the downfall of Bashar Al Assad in Syria is not our business.

But it changes the balance of power in the Middle East, and with the continuation of the Israel-Gaza War and the involvement of both Russia and Iran in the area, the ability of the United States to wish to ignore the problems is not reality!

Additionally, the Russia-Ukraine War is a crucial issue, with Trump seemingly ready to abandon Ukraine, which will undermine NATO.

Trump’s pledge to put high tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada will also upend our foreign relations, if followed through to fruition.

And, of course, China and North Korea remain difficult nations to deal with in international affairs.

The national security and stability of world affairs is dependent on an engaged America.

This brings up the inadequacies of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, and Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence, as both are totally ill-equipped for the challenges ahead.

So the Republican Senate must work to undermine Trump’s choices and force him to select individuals that are competent and qualified to be in charge of our defense and intelligence agencies, which are there to keep America safe.

83rd Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor, And Donald Trump Foreign Policy Views The Greatest Threat Since Then!

Ronald 7 Comments

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, the 83rd Anniversary of the Japanese attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which brought America into World War II.

Isolationist and “America First” mentality had brought America into a naive view about world affairs, and America was caught off guard.

We are now in danger of that occurring eight decades later, with the isolationist and supernationalist mentality of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Just as many public figures before 1941 made excuses for Japanese aggression in the Pacific and Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe, to our detriment, now we have Donald Trump and his lunatic followers who would rather “trust” authoritarian dictators than to enforce alliances against them.

So we have apologists for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, who wish Ukraine to just surrender.

And we have belief that other authoritarian dictators around the world can be our “friends”, while moving toward aggressive reactions to our territorial shared neighbors of Mexico and Canada, and are ready to use protective tariffs, which were a major cause of the Great Depression against major trade partners other than Mexico and Canada.

And the signs are that after having formed NATO in 1949 which kept the peace and promoted stability in Europe, as well alliances with Asian nations that did the same, that now we are ready to repudiate such alliances, and promote being close to authoritarian leaders around the world.

This is pure suicide and insanity, but Donald Trump and his minions are totally ignorant and clueless on international affairs and national security.

And we seem ready to put a dangerous woman, Tulsi Gabbard, in charge as Director of National Intelligence, who has cozied up to Vladimir Putin and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, undermining our ability to defend our nation.

The prayer is that America will wake up from the repeat of history of 80-90 years ago, and secure American national security, but the likelihood is just the opposite, to the detriment of all Americans!

Two Women Republican Senators Likely To Resist Trump Appointments, But Can They Gain Two Other Republican Senators As Supporters?

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Two women Republican Senators who have often disagreed with and voted against Donald Trump—Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine—are seen as likely to resist many of Trump’s controversial Cabinet nominees.

Both women voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in his second trial. Both are seen as moderates, and have shown courage and conviction in their careers in the Senate, with Collins in the Senate since 1997 and Murkowski since 2002.

The question is whether they can gain at least two Republican colleagues to join them in fighting to reject Trump’s outrageous Cabinet nominees, including:

Matt Gaetz, Attorney General
Pete Hegseth, Defense
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence

It seems clear other Republican Senators are very unhappy with some, or all of these choices, but will they be willing to challenge Trump is the unknown matter.

And sadly, future Senate Majority Leader John Thune, of South Dakota, not Trump’s “favorite”, has to deal with the likelihood of Trump deciding to call for the Senate to go into recess.

This would be an abdicating of their responsibility as a co-equal branch of government, and allowing two year “recess” appointments, which might be challenged in the courts, but with no clear answer as to what the resolution on the matter would be!

Impossible To Reject All Of Trump’s Outrageous Cabinet Appointments!

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Reality must sink in, that there is no possibility to expect the Republican controlled US Senate to reject all of Donald Trump’s outrageous Cabinet appointments. Trump is not allowing FBI checks of his nominees, and threatens to force recess appointments of his nominees, if the majority Republicans do not play along!

At most, maybe one might be stopped, with the one thought to be most likely being Attorney General nominee, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who has most members of the House of his party, and many Republican Senators really opposed to him, based on his scandalous life, but also his horrendous relationships with fellow Republicans over the years.

Sadly, Director of National Intelligence nominee, former Congresswoman and Democrat Tulsi Gabbard; Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr (also a former Democrat); and Pete Hegseth, Fox News host and nominee for Secretary of Defense, despite horrendous information about all three of them, will unlikely be able to be stopped.

All of these male nominees have been accused of sexual harassment and sexual abuse, but will likely overcome accusations of their misbehaviors, as Donald Trump has managed to do so throughout his life!

The idea that America’s Justice Department; Intelligence Agencies; Health Care System; and Military and Defense establishment are under attack by extremists chosen by a President who is out to destroy the existing system of American democracy, is a reality hard to accept.

All decent people, including this author and blogger, are fighting off a sense of despair and depression, but knowing that if good people give in and give up, then the damage done will be greater, than if there is resistance.

Two “Democrats” Who Now Are MAGA Republicans And Cabinet Members!

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It is stunning that two former Democrats are now MAGA Republicans, and will be part of Donald Trump’s second term Cabinet, assuming they are confirmed by the Republican majority in the US Senate!

Both are very dangerous to be part of the Cabinet, but sadly, we are faced with the likelihood that they will be in key positions

Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, as Director of National Intelligence, despite her flirtations with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin over recent years. The thought that such a person, who is a massive security risk, would become the leading spy executive of our federal government is horrifying beyond belief!

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, son of the late Senator and Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is a conspiracy theorist; anti vaccine advocate; against flouride in America’s water supply; and desirous of damaging America’s health care system. He is a disgrace to the Kennedy family name, and has a horrendous history of drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual misconduct during his three marriages.

Neither Gabbard nor Kennedy should have any impact on American government policy, and both are very dangerous, but unlikely that either can be stopped from gaining power under Donald Trump!

Unqualified And Controversial Trump Appointments Abound In Early Selections!

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When one observes Donald Trump’s early appointments, one concludes that he has decided to name unqualified individuals to a multitude of major positions.

When one can say that Florida Senator Marco Rubio becoming Secretary of State is the “best” appointment of a horrendous list, that summarizes what a disaster the nation is facing!

Rubio has 14 years of Senate experience, and is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and while no great intellectual, he meets the minimum requirements to lead our foreign policy establishment, but is no star in any sense.

But then, one looks at other appointments:

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News Host, as Secretary of Defense
Kristi Noem, South Dakota Governor, as Secretary of Homeland Security
Elise Stafanek, NY Congresswoman, as United Nations Ambassador
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, as US Ambassador to Israel
Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii as Director Of National Intelligence
Lee Zeldin, former NY Congressman, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency

Pete Hegseth is a total surprise to the Pentagon with no real credentials to head the Pentagon.

Kristi Noem has ZERO experience to head Homeland Security, and has been an embarrassment as Governor of a very small state, South Dakota.

Elise Stefanik is an ultimate example of an individual who transformed, conveniently, from being a moderate Republican to a MAGA Republican, as a way to advance her career.

Mike Huckabee is a Christian Zionist, whose ultimate aim is to convert Jews to his radical brand of Christianity, the last thing that American Jews would support, but may be acceptable to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he works to take over the Palestinian territories.

Tulsi Gabbard is a former Democratic Presidential contender, who has gone over to the Republican Party, after going off the rails in her foreign policy views, and now will be more powerful over intelligence gathering than anyone else .

Lee Zeldin has no desire to promote environmental protection, so can be described as a fox put into a chicken coop.

It seems clear that the major qualification to be in the Trump Cabinet is to be slavishly loyal to his agenda, with no concept of considering what is constitutional and legitimate!

Add to this list Robert F. Kennedy Jr. possibly being Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Billionaire Elon Musk everywhere, trying to have a major influence.

This list will become even more controversial as the days pass, and fireworks are possible on some of the appointments.

And now, as I am writing, controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has been chosen to be Attorney General, which would seem extremely divisive.

It also means now THREE Republican House members, including Mike Waltz of Florida as National Security Adviser, along with Stefanik and Gaetz, will be removed from that chamber, endangering, at least for the short term, having a Republican majority, which seems a lunatic move!

The last 24 hours have been shocking, and will continue to be in the coming hours and days!

Removal Of Dan Coats As Director Of National Intelligence A Warning Sign On Foreign Policy For America

Ronald 2 Comments

The decision of Donald Trump to remove Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence is a major blow to the intelligence community and a danger sign on foreign policy for America.

Coats handled his job in a professional manner, often contradicting Trump on many national security issues.

Coats knew that Russia had intervened to help Trump win the Presidential Election of 2016, and was continuing to interfere in the upcoming Presidential Election of 2020 to help Trump once again.

Coats knew that North Korea was playing Trump for a fool, and will not ever denuclearize.

Coats knew that the Iran Nuclear Deal was working, and that breaking the treaty, supported by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, along with China and Russia, was a mistake.

Coats knew that ISIS (ISIL) is still a threat to promote terrorism in the Middle East, despite it losing its territorial base.

Coats knew that Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman arranged the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist, at the embassy in Turkey last year, despite Trump refusing to accept that reality.

It is Coats and other intelligence officials and agencies who have been leading the fight against the dangers presented by Donald Trump.

And it is good to see some Republicans, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina making clear that proposed replacement, Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas, was totally unqualified to replace Coats.

The future security and safety of the United States is endangered every day Donald Trump remains as President of the United States!

Christopher Wray, Gina Haspel, Michael Rogers And Dan Coats, Heads Of Intelligence Agencies, Strongly Disagree With Donald Trump On Major National Security Threats

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The heads of the national intelligence agencies testified in open session before Congressional committees on Tuesday, and warned of the dangers to national security that exist in an unsafe world.

Christopher Wray, head of the FBI; Gina Haspel, head of the CIA; Michael Rogers, head of the NSA; and Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence, warned that America faced great threats from Russia, China, North Korea, ISIS, and Iran, making clear that they did not agree with President Donald Trump, who has undermined all intelligence, and says none of these nations and forces, except for Iran, are a threat.

Ironically, the three Intelligence heads said Iran is actually keeping the nuclear agreement that Donald Trump has given up, despite the support of the Western democratic nations–Great Britain, France, and Germany–for continuation of that agreement.

The “love affair” of Trump for Kim Jong Un; the trust and secret meetings that Trump has had with Vladimir Putin; the rocky relationship between the US and China; and the attitude that ISIS is no longer a threat in the Middle East, are alarming, and yet all Trump says in response to the intelligence conclusions is to say that these people need to go back to school.

It is Trump who is truly dangerous and too trusting of authoritarian nations, when he has no experience, no background, no knowledge on international relations, and is causing undue threats to the future of American foreign policy as a result.

Instead, Trump sees the Border Wall issue with Mexico as more of a national security threat, when none of the intelligence agencies see any threat on the Southern border, and dismiss the whole issue of the Border Wall as unnecessary.

We have a President who is truly warped in his views, dangerous to the nation, and could be leading us down a road toward true disaster, which could be far worse than September 11.

And we have to wonder why he engages in secret diplomacy without translators or note takers in meetings, many unreported, with Putin, and it all makes one think of the film from 1962, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.

We cannot afford to have such an uneducated and morally and ethically challenged President as Donald Trump in authority much longer, without a disastrous effect on America and its future.

Even Mike Pence, with all of his horrible social views on many issues, cannot be imagined to be likely to follow the same foreign policy as Trump, were he to succeed to the Presidency. We are at a point where he may be the only likely alternative, but better for American national security and safety than Donald Trump.

Don McGahn Is The New John Dean: Trump And Nixon Scandals Become Linked In History

Ronald 1 Comment

Forty five years after John Dean, the White House Counsel under President Richard Nixon, revealed the illegal actions of his boss in the Watergate Scandal, now we are learning for certain that Don McGahn, the White House Counsel under Donald Trump, has been cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, on the actions of his boss.

The difference is that McGahn has engaged in such cooperation for at least the last nine months, while Dean delayed such cooperation, and eventually served a short term in prison as a result, while McGahn clearly wants to avoid that.

So the idea that everyone around Trump is willing to “take a bullet” for Trump is now shown not to be the case, and it is likely that others around Trump will abandon their loyalty to Trump, realizing that he is a “sinking ship”, and that they can still recover some of their reputation and dignity by working against their boss, as he has absolutely no loyalty to them.

Donald Trump is self indicting as he continues to rant and rave on Twitter, including many bursts of anger as this posting is being formulated, as he realizes the future is gloomy, as evidence of Russian collusion, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, violations of the Emoluments Clause, and other crimes has been gathered by Mueller. Trump also realizes now that his son Donald, Jr, and his son in law Jared Kushner, and many of his cabinet members and other advisers, are in danger of being indicted.

With Omarosa Manigault Newman and Michael Cohen adding to Trump’s grief, he is now besieged on all fronts, but while the process to remove him from office moves forward, there is great concern about the dangers of him creating a foreign policy or national security crisis, and trying to shut down the Bill of Rights, and declare martial law.

Trump is clearly very mentally ill, and it is essential that the military, behind the scenes, and particularly, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, work to prevent any dangerous actions by the President, and prevent him from ordering a nuclear strike. And the top national security personnel, in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and the Director of National Intelligence need to block any rash actions by Trump that threatens American democracy.