US Politics, March 2018: Why do people leave the White House for good?

BREAKING: Officials: White House fires top Tillerson aide who contradicted account of secretary of state's dismissal.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2018

lol

it also makes sense some of these shitheads are on the way out - they get penalized financially on their divestments if they serve less than a year after they join the administration

WH official says chief of staff John Kelly called Tillerson Friday and again on Saturday. Both calls to Tillerson, the official says, warned that Trump was about to take imminent action if he did not step aside. When Tillerson didn't act, Trump fired him.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 13, 2018

i didn't know about the close connection between Pompeo and the Koch Brothers until this morning, either. what a shitshow.

― Karl Malone, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 11:14 AM (five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

GOP congressman from the Koch wasteland formerly known as Kansas

dark times indeed when sympathies default to oil exec

xxxp thanks for that key financial fact that I was not aware of, makes sense

People close to the White House say they expect more major personnel shifts this week.

One thing you can count on is that anyone who would accept top jobs under Trump after seeing this administration in action is going to be worse than awful, like much-worse-than-Rick-Perry awful.

I had to look up whether Rick Perry still worked there or whether he'd already moved on to Lucrative LobbyLand

Yep, he's still there

I wonder if Trump knows he's still there

Rick Perry doesn't know Rick Perry is there.

rick perry has the good sense to be neither seen nor heard so

Ben Carson's in there too, somewhere

youcanalwaystellamilfordman.gif

oh yeah, i forgot - remember the "suicide pact" between Tillerson, Mattis, and Mnuchin? Tillerson got fired, so, uh....?

Mnuchin's fate is to wind up a background player on his wife's reality show.

Morale Low At State Department After Only Employee Fired https://t.co/83lq3P87zc pic.twitter.com/dxhehYwP3s

— Onion Politics (@OnionPolitics) March 13, 2018

An odd little detail

https://deadspin.com/uconn-trick-shot-qb-turned-trump-valet-fired-due-to-hom-1823731168

xp every time I see Mnuchin he seems nervously excited to be temporarily freed form bondage hood / human pony harness

it's true though

*Treasury Department photo with wife + bills bills bills*

Morale Low At State Department After Only Employee Fired By Only Employee At White House

btw, good on Tillerson for not meekly stepping aside when 'warned' by Kelly and instead making Trump publically fire him without apparent cause.

it'll look better once the trials begin

!!! 2:00 p.m. – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make an On-Camera Statement in the Press Briefing Room

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 13, 2018

is trump in the right now? are we having a coup?

ICE Spokesperson resigns, won't spread lies for Trump administration any longer
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/us/california-ice-spokesman-resigns.html

trump in the *air right now, i should have said

The President and Mr. Cohen have purposely ignored our settlement offer, thus doubling down on their efforts to muzzle Ms. Clifford and prevent her from telling the American people what happened. Time to buckle up. #basta

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 13, 2018

lookin a little Stormy outside today

Best wishes to Secretary KILLERSON.... he SEVERED our nation well! Eeeh hahahaaaa!!! Now boy and ghouls, here's another bone-chilling announcement from the FRIGHT House press office!! https://t.co/3RkbP8Y5fp

— Official Centrism (@pareene) March 13, 2018

Tillerson will probably do the whole cordial “it was a pleasure to serve” thing.

if anyone wants to watch, here's a stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMVAWPgXWqs

my hope that he's going to take a flamethrower to the administration is probably not going to be fulfilled

cmon rex didn't you ever learn the importance of being punctual?

Fredos Frodos and Fraudos all the way down still?

Trump asking for advice on Stormy Daniels situation. https://t.co/Ol1JXPGVzD

— US President News (@President) March 13, 2018

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SECRETARY OF STATE pic.twitter.com/0CouhAMXMJ

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) March 13, 2018

well that was underwhelming..

More changes expected include a McMaster departure soon, as NBC recently reported. Among replacements, Tillerson had expressed concerns about working with Bolton.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 13, 2018

xp: seemed like he was about to cry or have a stroke. Not sure which.

i imagine that he's pretty stoked to get back to making a ton of money at exxon again

“I hope Tillerson is sad because his ego is shattered and not because he believes with good reason that we are on the verge of World War III”-David Kilon

People close to John McEntee said problems related to online gambling and mishandling of his taxes prevented him from gaining the clearance necessary for the role as Trump's personal assistant. https://t.co/SNtxxdfi93

— Tim Hanrahan (@TimJHanrahan) March 13, 2018

was "No chaos, only great energy!" this month because damn that would've made a great thread title

Yeah, that was last week.

damn. time flies

I knew this administration would be a total shit show but I was not expecting it to be this consistent. like every single week brings "infrastructure week" jokes

An effort to rip off the bandaid fast

Huh. I thought Trump's main kink was pee.

JUST IN: Schumer says at this point he is not calling in Democrats to oppose Pompeo and Haspel, but wants to hear from them first pic.twitter.com/mY0DSYHF7D

— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) March 13, 2018

ok I'm starting to think Chuck might not be the person for the job

McEntee looks kinda like a young Charles Grodin.

isn't that what leaders do -- wait for their subordinates to issue orders?

Huh. I thought Trump's main kink was pee.

apparently he also enjoys BDSM

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/is-the-stormy-story-more-damaging-than-we-thought

can't wait for the spectacle of large portions of the left pretending to get worked up about common sexual practices while the party of hypocritical moralizing bible-thumpers look the other way

Schumer is the Fucking Worst

I think the calculation is that you spend your energy fighting other battles. Pompeo and Haspel are not wholly unqualified, like DeVos is; they are just the abhorrent norm among officials approved by the Republican right wing. Since they'll be confirmed anyway, Schumer's letting Democratic senators pick their battles.

It does undercut any unified message of principled opposition, but the Democrats have never been good at that sort of thing.