February 17, 2017

Why do we know why Harward turned down the NSA job?


It's one thing to decide I'm not the man for this job, but if you were really the sort of person who would and should be offered this job, and if you really believed the Administration was so screwed up you couldn't tolerate working there, why would you make the regrettable situation worse by airing that opinion?

I'm genuinely puzzled!

Possible answers: 1. Harward didn't intend for this opinion to become public (but shouldn't a security expert be more rigorous about what is confidential?), 2. No harm in shitting on a shit sandwich (yes there is!), 3. Harward competently formed an opinion on how shitty the Trump administration is and properly exercised independent judgment and decided that the public interest was served by letting us know that the situation was so bad that a man like him would refuse to participate (but what kind of man believes his country is in this much trouble, will not help, and still thinks of himself as a worthy example of a person the Trump administration should have on the team?), 4. Harward is outraged at what happened to Flynn, wants to express that outrage in an especially cutting way, and also doesn't want to operate in a system where he's exposed to what is now a known risk (and this is the answer that makes the most sense to me).

ADDED: I don't know why I didn't throw in "This might be fake news," but I didn't. Many commenters are observing this lapse. I like the way Robin Eatmon put it (combining it with my points ##1 and 3):
If it's not fake news... this episode reflects poorly on Harward. Settle it with your family before the official offer and keep your mouth shut about it. In this day and age there is no one you can trust.

150 comments:

David Begley said...

5. Tapper's source is unreliable. Harward withdrew because he wants private sector money and spend some time with his family.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

5. Tapper is full of shit.

Unknown said...

"a friend says" "seems chaotic"

And which network sells a narrative that the Admin seems "chaotic"?

thus this tweet is now tautologically supporting the story.

"Admin is chaotic because prospects refuse to join it because it seems chaotic".

Nice work media!

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

5. Harward doesn't want to be continuously smeared by the media.

traditionalguy said...

Or Harwood was alerted and he knows how dangerous it is to be standing next to Trump many times a day. CNN is not the only team tasked with eliminating Trump before he eliminates them.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Tapper is now reporting anonymously sourced hearsay?

Ignorance is Bliss said...

5) Harward's friend is full of shit, Harward never said that.
6) Jake Tapper is full of shit, Harward's friend never said that.
7) Twitter is full of shit, Jake Tapper never said that.
8) Althouse is full of shit, Twitter never said that.
9) Blogger is full of shit, Althouse never said that.
10) Google Chrome is full of shit, Blogger never said that.
11) I'm full of shit.

Whisper down the lane is fun.

rehajm said...

We know because sources.

MayBee said...

Sounds like a guy with loudmouthed friends.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Seriously, "Journalists" are supposed to use multiple independent anonymous sources to report this kind of thing, and then its newsworthiness must meet a high bar.

rehajm said...

The skepticism of CNN is encouraging at least.

WisRich said...

Major Network anchor now reporting like a rumor-mill paparazzi blog.

Trump is making this too easy.

Unknown said...

Irrespective of what Jake Tapper heard the "TRUTH" is that Haward turned down leading the NSC. No one has done that before. Wake up and smell the coffee Trumpies.



Seeing Red said...

There's a reason. I understand both sides.

Freder Frederson said...

but what kind of man believes his country is in this much trouble, will not help, and still thinks of himself as a worthy example of a person the Trump administration should have on the team?

A sane man?

MayBee said...

He does say *the offer* is a shit sandwich.
Could mean not enough money, not enough power, not enough control over his staff. Could mean he'd have to keep his mouth shut, which might be hard for a guy who goes around telling friends the job offer is a shit sand which.

Maybe he thought he'd be able to keep side jobs, like Hillary let Huma and Cheryl Mill do.

Michael K said...

I have heard that Harward is more establishment but that Mattis wanted him. Maybe Mattis should have gotten better info on him.

Maybe because of the stories that he is establishment oriented, Trump wanted more say in his staff and assistant choices.

This is as much a fail by Mattis.

JPS said...

Is it true, I wonder, that they offered him the job but wouldn't let him pick his own deputy? Maybe he was so insulted that he decided to air that opinion, and if that made the administration look bad so be it.

I'm not one to cheer anything as long as it makes Trump et al. look bad, but if that really was the deal-breaker it's stupid on purpose, and they're better off getting slapped for it than proceeding that way next time round.

Freder Frederson said...

And I doubt Mattis is going to last long as Defense Secretary either. At some point his sense of honor and need for order is going to force him to resign.

If you have people like Trump and Bannon running the show, the only honorable thing is to get away from that shitstorm as quickly as you can.

Anonymous said...

"...but what kind of man believes his country is in this much trouble, will not help, and still thinks of himself as a worthy example of a person the Trump administration should have on the team?"

A patriot who knows that his presence wouldn't be helping his country, it would be helping the Trump regime.

Hagar said...

I read another piece that said Harward turned down the job because he wanted to bring his own staff that he could trust with him and Trump would not allow that.
If so, good for Trump. Whoever takes the job is going to have to clean house if necessary. We do not need another agency with a small group of insiders at the top working separately from the agency at large.

Freder Frederson said...

Harward withdrew because he wants private sector money and spend some time with his family.

If that was the case, then why was his name floated in the first place? If he never wanted the job it was a huge mistake to put his name out there.

Anonymous said...

Mattis said yesterday that he doesn't trust the Russians and won't be advocating joining them in any joint military venture in Syria. He mentioned the Russia hacking during the campaign as one of the reasons why they can't be trusted.

JPS said...

Hagar,

"he wanted to bring his own staff that he could trust with him and Trump would not allow that.

"If so, good for Trump. Whoever takes the job is going to have to clean house if necessary."

I see it differently. If you trust the man for the job, you do not decide the composition of his staff for him. If you have to do that, he's not a good pick; if you don't have to, isn't it insulting as hell to do so?

John henry said...

Blogger Unknown Asshole said...

Irrespective of what Jake Tapper heard the "TRUTH" is that Haward turned down leading the NSC.

And you know this how? From Jake tapper et al? Why should we believe him about this or anything else?

No one has done that before.

And you know this how?

John Henry

John henry said...

I'm going with Annie C: Tapper in particular and the MSM in general, is full of shit.

How do we know Harward was even offered the job?

John Henry

David Begley said...

Freder

Reince said today Harward accepted subject to the veto of his family. Family vetoed. Too many competing versions of the truth. We will never know the real reason.

JPS said...

David Begley,

"Reince said today Harward accepted subject to the veto of his family."

OK, if true he's a hell of a family man, but this is an odd explanation. Most people who give their family veto power over their career moves would confer with them before accepting the offer. You know, see if they'll veto, and if so, regretfully decline.

Matt Sablan said...

"I read another piece that said Harward turned down the job because he wanted to bring his own staff that he could trust with him and Trump would not allow that. If so, good for Trump."

-- If true, I agree, good for Trump. We saw what happened last time we let someone bring their own staff into a National Security position. Do you want secret email servers? That's how you get secret email servers.

Honestly, between firing Flynn and putting his foot down about how he staffs his administration, at least Trump is forcing accountability from people -- even if it is still all kinds of "chaotic."

Nyamujal said...

"And you know this how? From Jake tapper et al? Why should we believe him about this or anything else?"

Yeah, we don't really know anything to be true until it appears on Fox, Drudge, Breitbart, or Alex Jones' daily "the government is turning frogs gay" shoutfest.

Matt Sablan said...

"Most people who give their family veto power over their career moves would confer with them before accepting the offer."

-- I'm guessing, if true, it went something like this, informal offer floated, he says, "I'd be up for it, let me ask my family," formal offer comes, he says, "Sorry, family says no," formal offer rejected. This assumes that this is the truth (which we'll probably not know until the tell-all books come out, and even then, this is... so minor no one will care in a day or two.)

Matt Sablan said...

Tapper is one of the better journalists. I have no doubt he has a source who tells him this. Whether his source is right, over stating, misquoting, deliberately lying, etc., is the real question.

Matt Sablan said...

The funny thing is that the left's adamant desire to hobble the Trump administration has only managed to stop, what, two of his national security picks that--frankly--were relatively good choices, and may serve to poison the well enough for the one almost universally acceptable choice from Trump in Mattis may end up throwing in the towel, while the left has been completely unable to stop the targets they've actually found super objectionable (Sessions, DeVos).

PB said...

None of the above. I think we dodged a bullet with Harward. If he's this indiscrete, he's not suited for the job.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

I'm going with Annie C. on this.

Why should we believe Tapper? What reason do I have to trust him?

Tapper's job is not to report the news. He is a propagandist. A partisan hack for the other side.

Apparently the meme from the MSM is that powerful people denigrating the press is illegitimate because it undermines our democracy.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=snl+isn%27t+that+convienent&&view=detail&mid=6835B51E31D16CFC10716835B51E31D16CFC1071&rvsmid=46D042667448C7CAC87246D042667448C7CAC872&fsscr=0&FORM=VDQVAP

rehajm said...

The vetting process is brutal. It could have easily been something completely benign but potentially damaging in his background that killed it. Some loose connection to someone from Iran or UAE, relationships from defense contractors, anything, really. It only takes one balk someone with eyes on within the WH.

PB said...

Jake Tapper has been corrupted since moving to CNN. He went native.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

KAOS.

RBE said...

IF it's not fake news...this episode reflects poorly on Harward. Settle it with your family before the official offer and keep your mouth shut about it. In this day and age there is no one you can trust.

Vet66 said...

Harward is a warrior with serious ties to the mideast. He is also a straight, no nonsense pragmatist. His talk is colorful but true with nary a nod to politically correct speech. He knows and understands the politics of the clandestine services and undoubtedly they need him where he is benefitting both Trump and the Intel services. He knows what he is talking about.

Curious George said...

"Matthew Sablan said...
Tapper is one of the better journalists. I have no doubt he has a source who tells him this. Whether his source is right, over stating, misquoting, deliberately lying, etc., is the real question."

He was. Then he took the big buck anchor position at CNN and immediately went native. Now he's a fuck like them all. Try to find one example of him being a "better journalist" at CNN.

John henry said...

Blogger Nyamujal said...

"And you know this how? From Jake tapper et al? Why should we believe him about this or anything else?"

Yeah, we don't really know anything to be true until it appears on Fox, Drudge, Breitbart, or Alex Jones' daily "the government is turning frogs gay" shoutfest.

Speak for yourself. I would say we don't know it then, either.

Everywhere we turn, we get bullshit.

John Henry

Laslo Spatula said...

I was hoping for more conversations about 'shit sandwiches'.

Grilled Shit Sandwich.

BLS: Bacon, Lettuce and Shit.

Shit on Rye.

Open-faced Shit Sandwich.

Shit Ciabatta.

Peanut Butter and Shit, or

Shit and Jelly. Either way.

Also:

Subway Shit Foot-Long.

I am Laslo.



Sprezzatura said...

"I'm genuinely puzzled!"

Cog Dis.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Althouse has a true genius for comment chumming. We're not just her guests, we're her lab rats as well.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I wonder how many journalists trotted out the "chaos" meme when multiple Obama nominees were crashing and burning in 2009? It would be an interesting comparison.

Snark said...

Perhaps, unable to negotiate what he felt were the necessary freedoms and terms to do the job effectively for the country, he elected to put public pressure on the administration such that the next person considered would be in a better position to do so.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

David Graham said ...
Have you ever had a job you loved, but one where you felt like you’d achieved everything you could? So you looked for a new job, went through a fairly grueling application process, if you do say so yourself, got the offer. Then you started the job, and you hated it. Worse, all the tricks you’d learned in your old job seemed to be pretty much useless in the new one. Did you ever have that experience?

The president of the United States can sympathize.

gerry said...

Its Jake Tapper fake news.

Matt Sablan said...

"The president of the United States can sympathize."

-- Trump's been on the job for not much time and has accomplished a lot; his major hang ups are staffing and the media hating him. Give him a few years and we can see if his signature policies are as big of failures as privatizing social security, the ACA and the the bail outs.

viator said...

I understand it was because of staffing conflicts. Harward wanted a clean slate and his own staff. The White House wanted to keep Deputy K.T. McFarland in place. This is just another indication of the power struggle between factions of the of the defense/intelligence/foreign policy complex.

There is a battle underway is the nascent formulation of the Trump doctrine. Factions of the defense/intelligence/foreign policy nexus are girding up for a brutal fight over exactly what that doctrine will entail. Harward a Mattis protege wanted McFarland gone. People close to Trump, or Trump himself, wanted McFarland in place. McFarland has connections back to the Kissinger, Reagan, and Bush.

"In an interview, Peter Feaver, who served in the National Security Council under George W. Bush, described McFarland’s new position as the ultimate policy wonk’s job. “The pace is grueling. But it’s also intellectually incredibly stimulating. Because from 10-11 you’re deciding cyber policy. From 11-12 you’re deciding our stance on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And then in the afternoon you have a meeting on Iraq. ... So it requires a policy mastery, but also, a capacity to across a wide, wide range of topics.” McFarland will be serving as “the funnel of interagency policy making,” someone who “can go from zero to 100 on an issue very, very, very quickly,” Feaver added. Deputy national security advisors are expected to frame the toughest of policy issues for the president and his principals, boiling down every key question to just a few possible choices for the president to pick from. “If you have a very strong deputy, that makes the national security advisor better.”
The Atlantic

Ken B said...

Or the report is unreliable?

The key word is chaotic. Read Scott Adams on that word. That word should set off your bullshit detector.

Michael K said...

he elected to put public pressure on the administration such that the next person considered would be in a better position to do so.

I can't imagine Trump responding positively to this.

I know I would not.

This guy was Mattis' choice

Michael K said...

Harward a Mattis protege wanted McFarland gone. People close to Trump, or Trump himself, wanted McFarland in place. McFarland has connections back to the Kissinger, Reagan, and Bush.

That makes sense to me. I had forgotten she was there.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Tapper used to be relatively unbiased for an MSM newsperson. That changed over the past 6 months or so - probably got his marching orders from upper management, and didn't have the integrity to tell them no.
Calling yesterday's press conference "unhinged" is a perfect example.

So he has lost his default position of "I trust him"

Amadeus 48 said...

Nobody knows anything.--William Goldman

I am surprised no one has come up with the feminist angle. Trump is protecting K.T. McFarland, who is the current deputy. Trump wanted a woman in the role, but Harward demanded that he appoint his own deputy, who undoubtedly would not have been a woman.

Trump stands up for a woman, and the fake news media bury the lede! Fake newsies hate women! Trump loves women!

See how easy that was?

exhelodrvr1 said...

Of course, it is possible that he did mean for that to go public. Sometimes retired Admirals/Generals long for the limelight. But at this point I need independent verification of anything Tapper says.

Amadeus 48 said...

By the way, Jake Tapper has turned out to be as big a sap as the rest of them.

So sad.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"The president of the United States can sympathize."

Really, ARM. Trump really seemed to be enjoying himself at that presser. The reporters, not so much.

MaxedOutMama said...

The other possible answer is that the "friend" is retailing something that did not happen, i.e. "fake news". This is at least as likely an explanation as any other. Tapper may be fooled and genuinely believe what he said.

Achilles said...

"Why do we know why Harward turned down the NSA job?"

I don't think we know why he turned it down. CNN is a joke.

roesch/voltaire said...

Maybe he read David Brooks' article and agreed, or felt that Bannon would eventually knife him? Key quote:The first conclusion is obvious. This administration is more like a medieval monarchy than a modern nation-state. It’s more “The Madness of King George” than “The Missiles of October.” The key currency is not power, it’s flattery.

Clayton Hennesey said...

The Washington Free Beacon is floating a story that Harward may be a deep state NeverTrumper:

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/democrats-never-trumpers-thrilled-prospect-harward-national-security-adviser/

David Smith said...

Admiral Harwood is a seasoned, and by all reports an honorable, USN officer, so I'll go with the option that Jake Tapper, or someone upstream of him in this story, is a liar.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

The initial news report I heard (maybe it was Rush) indicated that Harward insisted that he be allowed to bring his compete staff to the NSA and Trump's team balked at that, for reasons I don't recall. Maybe it was too many positions that aren't normally named by someone named to the NSC. But that was the dealbreaker as I heard it.

Michael K said...

R/V you need to start reading adult literature.

Why do lefties live in such a fantasy world?

I guess it is normal for academics anymore to be in a state of delusion.

At least those in non-STEM fields.

mockturtle said...

The media, long sacrosanct, feel disrespected by Trump. And they are all-out to bring him down showing that they wield the power, after all.

Robert Cook said...

"Trump's been on the job for not much time and has accomplished a lot...."

Really? What has he accomplished? He has issued a few executive orders, the most prominent of which is being challenged in the courts. What else?

Michael K said...

That Free Beacon story tracks with what I have heard.

This includes several former Obama administration officials such as Tommy Vietor, who served as the NSC’s spokesman under Obama.

Vietor is an idiot. "Like Dude, Benghazi was two years ago".

rhhardin said...

It's a favorite military cafeteria dish, usually served on a shingle.

It's regional cuisine. The west coast prefers foreskins on toast.

Robert Cook said...

My dad loved "shit on a shingle," (chipped beef on toast). I think he first ate it during his two year Navy hitch.

tcrosse said...

Laslo left out the ever-popular Phillie Cheese-Shit Sandwich.

David Begley said...

Tapper's tweet can be part of Althouse's noting the "tone" comment yesterday by POTUS. It is now clear that the MSM is leading the resistance against Trump. That's why we question every thing. The MSM is the opposition and an adversary. Truth is optional.

Unknown said...

He may just regard the position of National Security Advisor itself as a shit sandwhich, regardless of whose administration. Certain jobs in the Navy, like classified materials custodian, are pretty much always looked at as accidents waiting to happen.

Robert Cook said...

Actually, to be precise, "shit on a shingle" is creamed chipped beef on toast.

khesanh0802 said...

A friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of mine told me that i would win the lottery today. I take that as Gospel. Don't you?

Mark O said...

My vote would be that Tapper mangled the quote.
Either out of context or not said at all.

Kevin said...

Tapper used to be objective but has turned into someone reporting "what I heard". Gossip, as we all learn, usually turns out to be wrong or distorted for effect. Once the major media outlets turned themselves into gossip columns, the news became "fake".

There could never be any other outcome.

Matt Sablan said...

"What has he accomplished? He has issued a few executive orders, the most prominent of which is being challenged in the courts. What else?"

-- I didn't say that he accomplished things people would like, just that he has done a lot. I don't like some of what he's done, but to claim he's completely out of his element and floundering unable to do things like he's being accused of is wrong.

He's making some good, some bad, some "we'll have to see" decisions/actions.

khesanh0802 said...

Ann Isn't there something in law about the admissibility of evidence passed on from another? Hearsay? Is that it?

sunsong said...

GOod for Harward. Trump is a lying sack of shit!

roesch/voltaire said...

Michael last time I checked David Brooks was an adult who lives in Wash D.C and is part of the Republican inner circle. After watching Trump say his administration ran like a fine tuned machine, I wonder who is more delusional Trump or Brooks?

Levi Starks said...

It's pretty clear that a fairly large percentage of opinion makers in this America desire a trump failure far more than any possible good outcome. Who knows? Maybe they'll get their way. The lengths to which they're willing to go remain to be seen. I'm not certain how much of their won nose they're willing to cut off.

Anonymous said...

if your family is going to be harassed and insulted everytime they step in a Starbucks, or go to their pilates class, then I subscribe to the family veto theory. Proves the "resistance" shit is actually working by poisoning the environment. People need to grow up.

Anonymous said...

David Brooks is part of the Republican inner circle?! lol

Anonymous said...

Who ordered the Poo Poo Platter?

I suspect there will be a shit load of shit jokes over the next few days.

Michael K said...

" is part of the Republican inner circle. After watching Trump say his administration ran like a fine tuned machine, I wonder who is more delusional Trump or Brooks?"

Brooks is the tame "conservative" at NY Times.

Trump ran against the GOP "inner circle."

And won.

I don;t blame you for being mislead. I have a very intelligent daughter who is also a lefty. Her mother asked her a week or so ago, what she thought would happen with Trump. God, bad neutral ?

She said "He'll be impeached."

I assume you agree with her and Maxine Waters.

Delusional.

Levi Starks said...

Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another you've been puttin Trump down.

JPS said...

roesch/voltaire,

"After watching Trump say his administration ran like a fine tuned machine, I wonder who is more delusional Trump or Brooks?"

After reading Brooks's characterization of the Obama presidency as "remarkably scandal-free," I'm going to go with Brooks.

MB said...

even then, this is... so minor no one will care in a day or two

I guess I'm ahead of the curve.

khesanh0802 said...

If the K. T. McFarland business is true it is just one more example of Trump choosing good people to work for him and sticking by them until they prove him right or wrong. That is a pretty good indicator of his management skill.

To not allow Harwood to bring his own staff is absolutely the right decision. The NSC needs a variety of talents, experience and opinion. A service staff is too used to acceding to the top dog. McArthur's "Bataan Gang" is, perhaps, history's prime example of the trait.

Anonymous said...

"I don;t blame you for being mislead."

Says a Trumpist, oh the irony!

rehajm said...

She said "He'll be impeached."

Did she offer any sort of explanation of the mechanics of how this will happen?

rehajm said...

'He'll be impeached' feels rather Underpants Gnomey.

Anonymous said...

High Crimes and misdemeanors will still get even a Republican president impeached by a Republican Congress.

Seeing Red said...

Bubba didn't leave. The precedent has been set.

traditionalguy said...

Tapper meant to say CNN is shit piled higher and deeper.

As for the Admiral, never trust an old man who shaves and polishes his head every few hours.

I Callahan said...

Actually, to be precise, "shit on a shingle" is creamed chipped beef on toast.

Remember when the final episode of MASH aired? A lot of bars broadcast it, and served SOS as a dish that day.

rehajm said...

...where high crimes and misdemeanors is the Phase 2: ? Section of the Underpants Gnome strategy.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

khesanh0802: If the K. T. McFarland business is true it is just one more example of Trump choosing good people to work for him and sticking by them until they prove him right or wrong. That is a pretty good indicator of his management skill.

To not allow Harwood to bring his own staff is absolutely the right decision. The NSC needs a variety of talents, experience and opinion. A service staff is too used to acceding to the top dog. McArthur's "Bataan Gang" is, perhaps, history's prime example of the trait.


Between this and the Tommy Vietor news, I can understand why Trump didn't agree to Harward's terms. It would be nice if at least one MSM-DNC outlet would provide a little balance and at least reference this "my team or else" ultimatum from Harward. Actuial reporting would be ideal, but that's no longer the world we live in.

John henry said...

Blogger SockPuppet#55 said...

High Crimes and misdemeanors will still get even a Republican president impeached by a Republican Congress.

Sure, if there were any. Maybe. Then President Mike Pence. Impeach him for something. Then President Ryan. Impeach him. They President Tillerson. Impeach him.

And so on down the list.

Doesn't matter how far down you go, they are all Trump appointees and Crooked Hillary is nowhere on the list.

A special election once 5-6 serial impeachments have taken place? In Which crooked Hilary gets elected?

Sally Kohn seems to think that might happen. Even though the Constitution does not allow special elections.

Perhaps SP55 is this deluded as well.

John Henry

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Oh no.

CNN: Picture of Steve Bannon's secret Russian handlers:

http://tinyurl.com/zdjqcjc

mockturtle said...

We should campaign for Condi to take the job! Not only has the experience but is fluent in Russian. That would be grist for the media mill!

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Andrew Solomon must know Inga's and sunsong:

"Some things you just need to accept your leftist friends are already gone. No, I don't mean the Rapture or dead. I mean mentally. Gone. Vacant stares. They are out-of-their-minds lost already, as if they were getting ready to castrate themselves to catch a ride on the Hale-Bopp comet. They shout low-information clichés like "impeach" and "treason." They are the smelly trolls on social media and dumb as doorstops.

They don't even realize how insanely difficult it is to prove treason. The bar is so high that it is nearly impossible. But the left are worse drama queens than barstool drunks drooling into their bloody Marys.

And impeachment? Big deal. You're not going to get the two-thirds majority required from the Senate. Not gonna happen. Don't let that stop the left's precious fantasy, however. "

LOL!


rehajm said...

To not allow Harwood to bring his own staff is absolutely the right decision...

Speaking of 'Harwood', leftie CNBC Washington Correspondent John Harwood has disappeared from the network, though he's still listed as a correspondent. Eamon Javers has taken his place, with no on air discussion of Harwood's return.

rcocean said...

Sorry, I don't trust 2nd hand hearsay from Fakenews CNN.

Sad truth, is that the MSM is so unreliable that any "unnamed source" criticizing the Trump administration, or pushing the MSM narrative, must be considered fake until proven otherwise.

rcocean said...

If Hayward didn't turn down job for $$$ reasons, he probably did so because he couldn't bring his own staff.

I don't think I'd take a leadership job, if I couldn't choose my own people. You need loyal, trusted, and competent subordinates or there's trouble ahead.

roesch/voltaire said...

In defense of Brooks, outside of the Benghazi first report, and the culling of AP phone records, much of the so-called scandals have been exaggerations. For example the IRS scandal was more a bureaucratic scandal than political, and both liberals and conservatives were targets, although conservatives more so because more conservative groups were seeking tax exemption. And just because Trump ran against Brooks and his friends, doesn't mean that Brooks doesn't know what is going on in the W.H.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Unknown"
"classified materials custodian" - what a pain-in-the-ass that was!

Achilles said...

Blogger SockPuppet#55 said...
"High Crimes and misdemeanors will still get even a Republican president impeached by a Republican Congress."

Obama emailed classified information to Hillary's non secure server. That is an example of a high crime and misdemeanor. Obama still didn't get impeached.

Michael K said...

She said "He'll be impeached."

Did she offer any sort of explanation of the mechanics of how this will happen?


No, I think she assumes that it will just happen. She is very bright and is in the middle of being recruited by Apple.

She lives in Santa Monica and those people live in a bubble. If she goes to Apple, the bubble will just be thicker.

For example the IRS scandal was more a bureaucratic scandal than political, and both liberals and conservatives were targets, although conservatives more so because more conservative groups were seeking tax exemption.

This is simply not true. I assume you get your information from leftist sources that were determined to protect Obama because he is....

THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT.

Maybe Sessions will pry open that can of crap and expose the truth.

Achilles said...

roesch/voltaire said...

For example the IRS scandal was more a bureaucratic scandal than political, and both liberals and conservatives were targets, although conservatives more so because more conservative groups were seeking tax exemption.

This is the problem with the left today. If the roles were reversed the people on the right would have fixed this problem. It is clearly obvious that only a republican/conservative can be held accountable for wrongdoing. This is because RV can't even admit his side has a problem and blatantly as well as knowingly lies about the issue.

The left is morally bankrupt and the only thing that props it up is a will to power.

iowan2 said...

Must likely fake news. No named sources = fake
It would not be President Trump's administration that he would battle with. He would have to ferret out the people in his own agency actively working to undermine Howard's leadership.

Or he truly does not want to pickup the fight. Really wants to spend time watching his grandkids grow up. That's where I'm at. Walking away because to do my job at level I demand of myself, is all consuming.

Gahrie said...

Actually, to be precise, "shit on a shingle" is creamed chipped beef on toast.

That's the fancy version.....sos is usually made with left over ground beef......

Anonymous said...

"If it's not fake news... this episode reflects poorly on Harward. Settle it with your family before the official offer and keep your mouth shut about it. In this day and age there is no one you can trust."

Wouldn't it have been smarter to have had Harward's answer before announcing they asked him to do the job?

Michael K said...

"sos is usually made with left over ground beef......"

When I had it in the AF it was chipped beef but maybe the AF gets the gourmet version.

Hagar said...

When I did my military service back in the Pleistocene we had fun comparing the official menu posted by the messhall entrance to what we were actually served.
Conspicuously, items that could be readily sold on the European black markets, such as mixed fruit desserts, etc., were usually missing.

sunsong said...

“you know what uranium is, right? It’s this thing called nuclear weapons, and other things, like lots of things are done with uranium, including some bad things.”
~ Donald Trump

How old is this guy? 12?

Unknown said...

"If it's not fake news... this episode reflects poorly on Harward. Settle it with your family before the official offer and keep your mouth shut about it. In this day and age there is no one you can trust."

Ridiculous. For any high-level position, you "close the deal" before the person has a chance to reject it publicly. If the person rejects the job then you contain the fall-out by making sure they don't say so publicly. Just another sign of chaos and incompetance.

Btw, When journalists from FoxNews and WSJ are turning against Trump then you're losing.

wwww said...



or He couldn't install his team, didn't think he would have appropriate control, and as a result, did not think he would be effective.

Never take a job where you are not given the power to do that job effectively. There's no point in taking the job, because it will end badly.

Anonymous said...

Harward isn't anyone's poodle, unlike Trump.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Btw, When journalists from FoxNews and WSJ are turning against Trump then you're losing.

2/17/17, 11:22 AM

The WSJ news staff has always been more left wing than their editorial. FoxNews is not monolithically right wing - only ignorant leftists believe that.

But KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!!!!

LOL

Michael K said...

I am now reading some comments elsewhere that Flynn is not "gone" but has"gone dark."

His clearances have either been maintained or will be restored. He has many contacts. I could see him working for Trump off the radar.

FWIW: He did nothing wrong therefore all that happened is he was simply “read out” he still has his clearance it is just not active. I have been in intel for over 23 years and had total control over clearances believe me his EPSQ/sf86 is just fine he broke no laws that would cause him to lose it. The leaks on the other hand should be pissing in their pants they can go to jail without a trial for leaking classified materiel most people do not know that.

Maybe Trump needs a few people out of the public eye working on things.

Drago said...

Unknown: "Ridiculous. For any high-level position, you "close the deal" before the person has a chance to reject it publicly. If the person rejects the job then you contain the fall-out by making sure they don't say so publicly. Just another sign of chaos and incompetance.

Btw, When journalists from FoxNews and WSJ are turning against Trump then you're losing"

LOL

ALL IS LOST!!!eleventy!

BTW, in REAL news, there are reports that John Boltons mustache is descending upon Manhattan!!

mockturtle said...

It was always chipped beef in the military because the dried beef was easy to store.

Michael K said...

It was always chipped beef in the military because the dried beef was easy to store.

That was my recollection.

Drago, troll feeding is a waste of good time. Sometimes fun, though. Like bulls, they will always charge a red cloth.

Anonymous said...

A US president completely unsuited. Pathetic.

"That unfortunately sounds like…bowing to the reality of a president with a short attention span and little ability to deal with ambiguities," says former CIA official Paul Pillar."

"Keep it short and free of nuance"

MayBee said...

A US president completely unsuited. Pathetic.

Aren't you lucky that you get to say that without being called racist.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

The leftists continue to bark but the caravan moves on.

Or perhaps I should say that the Trump train rolls right over them.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

In the meantime, Hillary spoke at a ceremony dedicating a postage stamp to Oscar de la Renta.

I think it's nice that she's keeping herself occupied.

Dave said...

All senior military officers want to be able to select their own staffs. I can't think of any senior military officer who would want to subject themselves to the kind of thing that happened to Gen. Flynn. The latter is the real sh*t sandwich.

Michael K said...

I can't think of any senior military officer who would want to subject themselves to the kind of thing that happened to Gen. Flynn.

That had nothing to do with staff. The NSC is not another military command.

I think they were concerned about Harwood's history but were trying to accommodate Mattis.

Maybe Bolton would take it.

MacMacConnell said...

Harwood $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Lockheed Martin.

hombre said...

Harward says the raesons for declining were "purely personal." Jake Tapper, citing thd anonymous leftmedia ghost army says it was because the WH is a "shit sandwich."

Muslims say, "Death to Israel! Death to America! Death to infidels! The leftmedia, citing the ghost army, says, "Islam is a religion of peace."

Never mind what the parties say. The truth can only be known after it is filtered through the ghost army of the mediaswine.

In this case, Tapper was on the phone, busily soliciting Harward's friends to find someone to make a liar of him. He wasn't? The ghost called him to volunteer the information? Really? Why would someone do that? Lol.

Transparent, thy name is CNN.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"“you know what uranium is, right? It’s this thing called nuclear weapons, and other things, like lots of things are done with uranium, including some bad things.”
~ Donald Trump

How old is this guy? 12?"

Good Lord, you don't know condescension when you hear it? Which surprises me. Wait...maybe not.

Unknown said...

Trump tweets a few minutes ago:

"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

The enemy of the American People? Well, to the Trumpies only and they are not the majority.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

The enemy of the American People?

Clearly they are. The people elected Trump and they are trying to unelect him with fake news and character assassinations.

traditionalguy said...

That list of EnemyMedia is out to disappear the American Middle class and replace us with Hispanic EuroSerfs and Sunni Muslims. But DJT is our Champion to teach them a hard lesson. And no one can stop us, unless they shoot him, and then we will rally behind Pence.

Bob Loblaw said...

After reading Brooks's characterization of the Obama presidency as "remarkably scandal-free," I'm going to go with Brooks.

I had forgotten about that.

Brooks isn't a conservative in any way that I recognize. He's a Republican, but that's not the same thing.

Anonymous said...

"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

Very Putinesque. Or like that other Russian dictator who took his shoe off and pounded the podium while yelling "I will destroy you!"

Michael K said...

Trolls are contaminating the thread.

Good night.

Anonymous said...

Yes Michael, so stop trolling.

Joe said...

Look at it from a CEO perspective; s/he thinks of hiring a high power VP, but asks that the VP answer to some assistant, to see where this new VPs loyalties lie. Harward's loyalties apparently weren't with the administration, which is nice to know now, rather than later (ala Flynn.)

chickelit said...

SockPuppet#55 said...Very Putinesque. Or like that other Russian dictator who took his shoe off and pounded the podium while yelling 'I will destroy you!.'

That was Nikita Khrushchev and he didn't say "I will destroy you!"; rather, he said "We will Barry you." And they did.

SukieTawdry said...

I'm wondering why he was offered the job in the first place and publicly to boot. Surely he must have indicated his disinterest during the preliminary stages.

Perhaps considering the intelligence community's vendetta, the position of national security advisor is a shit sandwich. I hold Trump responsible for this situation. Hopefully he'll learn, sooner than later, that there are some undertakings that require discretion and tact and should be handled entre nous instead of on Twitter. Which is not to say this particular swamp isn't badly in need of draining.

Ken B said...

I know why you didn't consider the chance it was fake. Cruel neutrality.

Achilles said...

traditionalguy said...
That list of EnemyMedia is out to disappear the American Middle class and replace us with Hispanic EuroSerfs and Sunni Muslims. But DJT is our Champion to teach them a hard lesson. And no one can stop us, unless they shoot him, and then we will rally behind Pence.

Rally behind Pence? You think he is going to be leading? He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy that would burn DC to the ground and string up any Deep State bureaucrats that were too stupid to escape.

Achilles said...

SockPuppet#55 said...
A US president completely unsuited. Pathetic.

If you like your plan you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor you can keep you doctor. Your insurance rates will go down by $2500.

But the left appreciates it when their leadership lies to them. Gruber tells the truth about democrat voters

"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” said Gruber. “Basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical to getting the thing to pass.”

Unsuited indeed says Ben Rhodes

It only works because democrat voters are such fucking idiots.

hstad said...

David Begley said, ".....Too many competing versions of the truth. We will never know the real reason....." Could be! But the real issue - who cares? In several weeks, President Trump will have his NSC head and a year from now no one will care about Flynn or who is Flynn's successor. The only thing I liked about Tapper's source (if it's true) is the "shit sandwich" comment. That's exactly what all this speculation is about, a big "shit sandwich" which amounts to hogwash.

hstad said...

David Begley said, ".....Too many competing versions of the truth. We will never know the real reason....." Could be! But the real issue - who cares? In several weeks, President Trump will have his NSC head and a year from now no one will care about Flynn or who is Flynn's successor. The only thing I liked about Tapper's source (if it's true) is the "sh*t sandwich" comment. That's exactly what all this speculation is about, a big "sh*t sandwich" which amounts to hogwash.