Who's going to be the NEXT one under the bus?

[Gregg]

I've got mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, Mad Dog was just about the only member of the entire administration who is not, at all times and in all places, a catastrophic assclown.

On the other, the Constitution makes POTUS, not SECDEF, the Commander in Chief. It sounds like, at least with regard to both Syria and Afghanistan, he's decided to do some Commander-in-Chiefing. Regardless of whether those decisions are right or catastrophic geopolitical blunders that will cause damage from which the country may never recover, they're his decisions to make. Having an "internal resistance" to his whims in this area was never something that was healthy; it was, at absolute best, slightly less harmful to the nation in the long term than the decisions being resisted.

With Mattis gone, the Republicans no longer have the "adult in the room" to hide behind. They're going to have to face facts: they need to either shit or vacate the pot.

Remember the pact between Tillerson, Kelly, & Mattis to always be present?

*poof*

Plan B:

KellyAnn, Bolton and Fox & Friends

[GreatGrey]

Nielsen is next.

[RVInit]

I'm sticking with Nielson, too.

I dread to see who Trump will intend as Mattis' replacement. I bet whoever it is, it'll be a humdinger. But, of course, the Republican Senate will have the country's back.

[Sam the Centipede]

I read this as a rebuke to Trump.

Gosh! A rebuke?! Considering the status of the sender and recipient it's absolutely caustic.
The stiletto slides in in the first phrase and the remainder of the sentence twusts it:

I have been privileged to serve as our country's 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.

It deliberately (explicitly?) avoids saying that serving with Trump was a privilege then doubles down on that by talking about serving DoD people and the citizens.

The remainder of the letter could be prècised as "Trump, you're an asshole a dangerous, stupid asshole."

[p0rtia]

Won't they have to do an out search for an adult since there are currently none in residence?

'

Eric Swalwell on MSNBC last night, when asked about the adults left in the room post Mattis said that the only two were...wait for it...Kelly Anne and...wait for it longer...Steve.........Miller.

Whatever respect I had for Mr. Swalwell's judgement went down the tubes with that.

[Kendra]

Just just watched the first few minutes at F&F and his little cheerleaders talking about the Mattis letter and the make a point of mentioning that there's nothing complimentary about Trump in it, i.e. it was an honor to serve Trump

[Foggy]

Definitely gonna to reset the poll now.

And maybe create a sibling poll: Who is now the adult in the room?

Huh? What'd he say?

Kelly's departure date is, umm ... indeterminate. Mattis won't be gone until February 28. Nobody is actually under the bus yet!

I shall read and consider counter-arguments.

Too also, this is Chilidog's thread. He can reset the poll if'n he has a hankerin'.

[Foggy]

Just just watched the first few minutes at F&F and his little cheerleaders talking about the Mattis letter and the make a point of mentioning that there's nothing complimentary about Trump in it, i.e. it was an honor to serve Trump

Darn it, Twitler wasn't supposed to find that out, and now they done gone and tole him!

[Estiveo]

Won't they have to do an out search for an adult since there are currently none in residence?

'

Eric Swalwell on MSNBC last night, when asked about the adults left in the room post Mattis said that the only two were...wait for it...Kelly Anne and...wait for it longer...Steve.........Miller.

Whatever respect I had for Mr. Swalwell's judgement went down the tubes with that.

Maybe you didn't catch the part where he closed that thought with, "...and that should terrify us all."

[p0rtia]

No, I caught that. It didn't mitigate the insanity of saying that The Nazi, who is most noticeable for most resembling a teenaged potential serial killer, might be described as an adult. Kellyanne Conway, I can accept as living at the bottom of the barrel of vague adult-like behavior. But Miller is not in that barrel.

[Volkonski]

Barbara Starr
‏
Verified account

@barbarastarrcnn
2h2 hours ago
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#Mattis back at work by 6:15 this morning day after resigning. Senior official tells me @realDonaldTrump was "surprised' by the resignation., Final straw for Mattis was potential Kurdish bloodbath. #buckleup this is all far from over sources say.

[Sam the Centipede]

Just just watched the first few minutes at F&F and his little cheerleaders talking about the Mattis letter and the make a point of mentioning that there's nothing complimentary about Trump in it, i.e. it was an honor to serve Trump

Darn it, Twitler wasn't supposed to find that out, and now they done gone and tole him!

I'm sure that if pressed on that, Trump would say "No, General Mattis told me many times that he has great respect, the greatesst respect for me, and that he considered it a bigly privilege to serve in my wonderful administration. He didn't need to include that in the letter, he's a busy man."

[pipistrelle]

Did Mattis engage in that praise Trump round table a while back?

[ZekeB]

Kelly's departure date is, umm ... indeterminate. Mattis won't be gone until February 28. Nobody is actually under the bus yet!

They are neutered, though. Now that you've been Southernized I'll word it like the boys down there tawk: They've been castrated.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Did Mattis engage in that praise Trump round table a while back?

He bragged about the service members, not Trump.

[Volkonski]

Carl Bildt
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Verified account

@carlbildt
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A morning of alarm in Europe. SecDef Mattis is the remaining strong bond across the Atlantic in the Trump administration. All the others are fragile at best or broken at worst.

1:55 AM - 21 Dec 2018 from Stockholm, Sweden

[pipistrelle]

Did Mattis engage in that praise Trump round table a while back?

He bragged about the service members, not Trump.

Good for him. That charade was sickening.

[Reality Check]

Trump is pushing Mattis out by January 1. Trump was too stupid to figure out the resignation letter was a big up yours. He watched Fox News and they explained it. Now Mattis is out. All of this was predictable.

[SLQ]

Trump is pushing Mattis out by January 1. Trump was too stupid to figure out the resignation letter was a big up yours. He watched Fox News and they explained it. Now Mattis is out. All of this was predictable.

[Suranis]

There could be another reason as well. Trumps' assholry has Layers. Like an Ogre. Or onions.

https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/statu ... 0957020161

Jennifer Griffin
‏Verified account @JenGriffinFNC
12h12 hours ago

This was not Mattis’ idea, to leave Jan 1. I am told that President annoyed by all of the positive Mattis coverage and decided to act, pushing Mattis out early, making Patrick Shanahan acting Defense Secretary Jan 1.
430 replies 464 retweets 1,135 likes

Yep, how DARE Mattis take away Trumps' divinely granted coverage. HE'S WORKING 1 Hour a day TO SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM A SHUTDOWN AND THIS ASSHOLE SUCKS AWAY TV MINUTES!?!

Of course this could be a line put out by the white house as its slightly less idiotic than smiling at the bits in the letter that praise Trump till FOX tells him it was actually an F you, but hey, both can be true.

[neonzx]

Yep, how DARE Mattis take away Trumps' divinely granted coverage. HE'S WORKING 1 Hour a day TO SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM A SHUTDOWN AND THIS ASSHOLE SUCKS AWAY TV MINUTES!?!

Of course this could be a line put out by the white house as its slightly less idiotic than smiling at the bits in the letter that praise Trump till FOX tells him it was actually an F you, but hey, both can be true.

Actually, I think he tempered his decision. He could have said EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. Instead, it's not for a week. See, compromise. Art of the Deal.

[Chilidog]

Mnuchen

I can see Trump rage tweet firing him tonight

[Azastan]

Mnuchin

I can see Trump rage tweet firing him tonight

Yup. Which just starts a cascade of falling dominoes, but this is Donnie, not someone who knows what they are doing.

Oh, and he will probably try to fire Jerome Powell, as well.

[Lani]

Mattis leaves with honor.

[Notorial Dissent]

I think Mnuchin may be the odds on favorite now after his statements last week. Ironically, he needs to be, he's a bigger tool than I had previously thought, and that is scary.