Secretary Of Defense

Typical For A Democratic President To Select A Republican Secretary Of Defense

Ronald 9 Comments

History demonstrates that it is typical for a Democratic President to select a Republican for his cabinet, with the Defense Department the usual position awarded to a member of the opposition party.

This was true with Robert McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The same scenario occurred with William Cohen serving under Bill Clinton in his second term.

And under Barack Obama, we saw carryover Robert Gates and later Chuck Hagel head the Pentagon.

If we go back to before the Defense Department was created in 1947, it was known as the War Department, and Republican Henry Stimson served as Secretary of War for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Republican Robert Lovett served for two years in that position under Harry Truman.

Only Jimmy Carter among Democratic Presidents never had a Republican serve as Secretary of Defense, but he did have James Schlesinger as the first Secretary of Energy.

So it seems likely that Joe Biden will pick a Republican for the Cabinet, and the most likely choice would be former Congressman and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who will deliver a speech of endorsement at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

Trump Cabinet Members: One Disaster After Another, From Tom Price To Ronny Jackson!

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The Trump Cabinet is one disaster after another.

Trump has dismissed many people behind him, both those in his Cabinet, and others in positions of authority, and others have come under fire, but are still there.

Rex Tillerson, Tom Price, David Shulkin are gone, along with Reince Priebus, Michael Flynn, H. R. McMaster, and Sean Spicer, and Scott Pruitt, Ryan Zinke, Jeff Sessions, Steve Mnuhcin, Betsy DeVos, Wilbur Ross, Ben Carson, Mick Mulvaney, and now Ronny Jackson are under scrutiny. Even John Kelly, the second White House Chief of Staff, has lost his reputation serving Trump.

There has been more turnover, including the White House Chief of Staff, National Security Adviser, and White House Press Secretary, than under any President after just 15 months.

The above mentioned list of present cabinet officers, as well as Ronny Jackson, the White House Physician now nominated to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, have had issues of corruption and malfeasance, and are under a cloud that may force all of them to leave the administration over time.

Just about the only Trump advisers who are seen as “clean” are Secretary of Defense James Mattis and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Richard Nixon, Warren G. Harding, Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all had a substantial number of people who served in their administrations forced out, or indicted, convicted, and sentenced to prison, but it looks as if Donald Trump is presiding over the most disgraceful group of advisers we have ever seen in any Presidency!

Trump’s “Congratulations” To Putin A Danger Sign To National Security Long Term, And Demonstrates How Unhinged And Dangerous He Is!

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Donald Trump was told by his National Security Adviser, H. R. Mc Master, and his Chief of Staff, John Kelly, NOT to ‘congratulate” Vladimir Putin for his phony election victory in Russia.

He ignored both of them, a clear danger to national security of the nation, and now Mc Master is out, and crazy lunatic war hawk, John Bolton, who still believes the Iraq War was justified; who was unable to become UN Ambassador under President George W. Bush, and was only a recess appointment for less than a year; and who has advocated openly on Fox News Channel the idea of “regime change” in both Iran and North Korea, has replaced him.

This is an alarming development, and it is believed Kelly is on his way out, and might not be replaced as Donald Trump may believe he does not need a Chief of Staff, that he can handle everything on his own, with the help of Bolton, who will have greater access as National Security Adviser daily than anyone else.

It is now clear that Donald Trump is more unhinged and dangerous than we ever imagined, and if the military leaders John Kelly, and maybe even Secretary of Defense James Mattis leave, there will be no control on Donald Trump’s military actions.

So war may be in the offing soon!

Oprah Winfrey For President? Absolutely Not!

Ronald 5 Comments

We have entered the silly season, when Democrats, who are desperate for someone to replace Donald Trump or Mike Pence in 2020, have decided that Oprah Winfrey is the person to nominate and elect President.

This author and blogger has no issue with the significance of Oprah Winfrey to the entertainment community at large.

Oprah has had a wonderful and inspiring career, and has spoken up for much that is good and decent.

It is not an attack on her virtues to say that a speech at the Golden Globes Awards ceremony, while inspiring, is not a justification for her to be running for President.

Of course, she can run if she chooses to, but that does not mean America should elect her, or Mark Cuban, or Dwayne Johnson, or Mark Zuckerberg, or any other successful entrepreneur or entertainment star to the White House.

We should have learned from Donald Trump that being successful in entertainment or business does not qualify you to be the leader of the free world, far from it.

All of the above, including Trump, lack EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE in GOVERNMENT and FOREIGN POLICY, and in this complex world, one needs to have had a career in government, as a US Senator, a US House of Representatives member, a Governor, or a Mayor, or possibly a significant cabinet officer, such as Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, Homeland Security, or Attorney General.

One needs a record of accomplishment and involvement in the domestic and foreign policy issues that matter.

Such a person, just one example, is former Vice President Joe Biden, who if not for his age, would be seen as the best person for 2020, but the answer is to use Joe Biden’s great credentials, combined with the idealism and progressive credentials of a Joe Kennedy III or Chris Murphy or Amy Klobuchar or Cory Booker or Eric Garcetti or Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom or numerous others as a Vice President.

Have Joe Biden agree to one term, followed by the likelihood of one of these government leaders succeeding, in theory, for two terms.

Any of the above and even others in government would be far better than a celebrity, such as Oprah Winfrey by vast margins!

Erratic, Unpredictable, Concerning Behavior Of Donald Trump: Reason To Limit His Ability To Use The Nuclear Codes!

Ronald 9 Comments

What Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said about Donald Trump, that he could start World War III, is extremely disturbing.

We are closer to Midnight and the Atomic Scientists prediction of possible nuclear warfare now than at any time since 55 years ago, October 1962 and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Where are the Republican Senators and Congressmen, and the foreign policy and defense establishment, at this moment of crisis?

Something must be done to limit the ability of Donald Trump to use the nuclear codes to start a nuclear war against North Korea, Iran, or any other nation, before we witness a Holocaust that will make World War I and World War II look like minor events!

We have an erratic, unpredictable, and maniacal President who is a danger to the entire planet!

The rules must be changed to require that a committee of cabinet members must agree before use of nuclear weapons, whether Donald Trump agrees or not.

The top military people around Trump–Secretary of Defense James Mattis, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly–must collaborate behind the scenes with Vice President Mike Pence, and the four men must insure that Donald Trump cannot, in a fit of rage and fury, which is common these days in the White House, decide to prove his so called manhood by launching nuclear weapons that could cause mass murder of millions of people in North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, as well as endanger the lives of American military in South Korea and Japan, and the America civilian population which lives in both South Korea and Japan.

We are at the most dangerous time of crisis, and Donald Trump is no John F. Kennedy!

Trump In Danger Of Facing Massive Resignations With His Controversial Personality, And Unwillingness To Be Controlled!

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Donald Trump has growing problems with his staff, and faces the threat of massive resignations in the near future.

Rumors abound that Gary Cohn, Chief Economic Adviser; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; Secretary of Defense James Mattis; Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell); White House Chief of Staff John Kelly; and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster are all having major problems with their boss.

The White House is still in chaos as Trump does not wish to be controlled in any form by anyone, and rages often, which could undermine his own health, and causes worry about his growing level of mental instability.

No President has ever gone through so many people being fired or resigning in the first seven plus months of a Presidency.

It seems likely that September will be the most tumultuous month of the Trump Presidency so far, with so many issues on the agenda, and this after the tumultuous month of August, even with Congress not in session.

But now Congress is back, and it is not just Democrats who are ready to go on the attack against Trump, but also many Republicans, as well as conservative intellectuals and writers.

The pressure is growing on Trump, and with the Mueller investigation in full swing, the Trump Presidency is getting closer to a time when it seems clear that Trump will be unable to handle the pressures of being President.

So the sense of a coming resignation at some point seems ever more likely. It would save the nation from the nightmare it has been going through in 2017!

Military Leadership Ignoring Twitter Rants, And Trying To Discipline Donald Trump: First Steps Toward Ultimate Removal Of Donald Trump From Oval Office

Ronald 5 Comments

It is interesting to note that the military leadership is ignoring some of Donald Trump’s statements on Twitter, and are battling behind the scenes against the more extremist aides that remain influential in the Trump White House.

General John Kelly, the new White House Chief of Staff, is trying to get rid of those who are causing disarray in the Trump White House, and it seems that at some point, he will be able to fire Stephen Bannon and Stephen Miller, both of the Alt Right persuasion, as the only way to get control of the chaotic situation in the Oval Office.

H. R. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, is working at trying to “mainstream” foreign policy, but faces loose rhetoric from Trump, that he is trying to limit, but with strong opposition from the Alt Right extremists, Bannon and Miller, with indications they are trying to force him out. This struggle of McMaster to remain influential is a battle that needs to be won.

Defense Secretary James Mattis has ignored Trump’s statements about eliminating transgender soldiers, with the argument that Twitter comments are not public policy, and it seems clear that he wishes to stabilize the military, and is against any change in military policy on this matter. The hope is that he will succeed in convincing Trump to leave such matters to the military, not to the President’s utterances.

Ordinarily. it would be seen as dangerous to have three recently retired military leaders so influential in a Presidency. but in this case, with this mentally unbalanced man in the White House, it might be the only way to rid the government of extremists that are encouraging him.

Hopefully, it could lead to the ultimate removal of Donald Trump from the Oval Office, when it is clear that there has been Russian collusion, as it is impossible to imagine that any of these three former generals would overlook the facts of the case, when and if they are confirmed.

Patriotism, doing what is proper to maintain our basic civil liberties and civil rights, is seen as the ultimate goal of these generals, to save the country from tyranny.

Hopefully, this blogger turns out to be accurate, in his judgment of what will happen.

Militarization Of Civilian Government Under Donald Trump: A Double Edged Sword

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The fact that Donald Trump has three top military figures as key figures in his administration is troubling in a way, but also good in a way.

We have never had military figures in top government positions as a group. and so soon after retiring from the military.

Yes, we had Alexander Haig in the government under Richard Nixon, and George C. Marshall in the government under Harry Truman.

But now we have John Kelly as White House Chief of Staff, H. R. McMaster as National Security Adviser, and James Mattis as Secretary of Defense.

This is troubling, as our civilian government is not supposed to have such close association with the military in making policy, and the civilians are in charge at all times.

These men are patriots and good people, but still, it creates unease among many observers.

On the other hand, it seems to be reality that IF it is proved that Donald Trump has committed treason, that they will refuse to cooperate in a coverup, and would be likely to work to force Trump to resign for the good of the nation.

So this might be the way to hasten the demise of the Trump Presidency!

The Attack On Transgenders In The Military A Major Step Backward On Human Rights, And Must Be Resisted In Any Way Possible!

Ronald 2 Comments

The decision of Donald Trump to declare that transgender individuals are not to be allowed to serve in the military is a major step backwards on human rights.

Transgender men and women have served in the military heroically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they serve in the military in Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other advanced democracies with no troubles or complications.

This is simply an appeal to the bigoted Religious Right of Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, and other preachers who claim wrongly to speak for Jesus Christ, who would reject their prejudice and hypocrisy.

It is also an attempt to take attention off the failed Health Care attempts to destroy ObamaCare, and also to take people’s minds off the investigation of the Russian collusion of the Trump campaign and Presidency.

It undermines the great progress made on gay rights and gay marriage, and now, the Attorney General Jeff Sessions is arguing that gays and lesbians and transgenders should not be considered as covered under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a total outrage!

Leave it to the right wing whackos, and we might see a future situation where women’s rights to an abortion, and even interracial marriages, might be reversed by a right wing Supreme Court majority.

It is good to see that the military is not, at least at this point, obeying a tweet of our unstable President, and hopefully, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will fight against it, and convince Trump that this will undermine military discipline and morale, and endanger the declared Transgenders already out in the military.

One can sadly expect more prejudice and discrimination against transgenders now in society, and some will die as a result.

Ironically, this bigoted, ignorant, and prejudiced statement by Trump occurred on the 69th anniversary of Harry Truman integrating the military in 1948, and one can be certain that if Truman were alive, he would have appropriate salty language visited upon Trump, and would probably wish to give Trump a swift kick in his rear end and in his private area as well, something million of Americans would cheer!

Donald Trump: A Dangerous Leader Who Could Unleash A Nuclear War With His Unstable Emotional State!

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Donald Trump clearly is very unstable mentally, and therefore, a dangerous leader who could unleash a nuclear war due to his unpredictable emotional state!

We have a major problem with North Korea, no debate, but the answer is not to unleash a nuclear attack, which would cause the death of many people, not only in North Korea, but also in South Korea, Japan, and American military personnel in the area.

Many say that we should not worry, that Trump has James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, and H. R. McMaster as National Security Adviser, and that they would stop Trump from rash actions.

But really, when has Trump ever been stopped in his Twitter rants?

When has Trump ever been stopped in alienating the leaders of our allies and friends around the world?

When has Trump ever been convinced even by his own family in what he says and does?

The answer is NEVER, and to believe that Trump is not a threat with his weird behavior, including constant lying, bullying, demeaning, his intimidating personality, and his not living in the “real” world, is to be totally naive!

It seems highly unlikely that the cabinet and Vice President Mike Pence will ever invoke the 25th Amendment, Section 4, although early on, one might have thought that was possible.

But lately, watching Mike Pence in public beside Trump, one gets the feeling that he will be reluctant to step in, and therefore, the nation is at risk on a constant basis, as this psychologically damaged and mentally ill President continues to be a threat to peace and order!