Mike Mullen, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, wrote in The Atlantic on Tuesday that he “cannot remain silent” about President Donald Trump any longer.
“It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel – including members of the National Guard – forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president’s visit outside St. John’s Church,” he wrote....
Mullen, who served as chairman under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, called the photo op a “stunt” that did little good:
“Whatever Trump’s goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.”
The retired four-star Navy admiral said armed forces would obey lawful orders.
“But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief,” Mullen wrote. “And I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops.”
Mullen noted that American neighborhoods are our homes ― not “battle spaces,” as Defense Secretary Mike Espy described them over the weekend.
“Our fellow citizens are not the enemy and must never become so,” Mullen wrote.
Trump can now brag he has the largest worldwide gatherings (protests) of any President ever. He does like his large crowds...
Surely someone near to the Dotard has the courage to do the right thing now that Lee Harvey Oswald isn't around.
Do all those dozens of security or military men / women that surround Trump feel that he has not disgraced the office of POTUS hundreds of times, return home to their families thinking they have done a good job protecting him from harm! Or are there those e.g. Catholics having to enter the confessional seeking redemption everyday, PS if they feel they can no longer watch Trump desecrate the office anymore, step up with your side arm, you will be admonished at your next confessional and the Gates of St Peters will be open to welcome you! Some tried to get Hitler albeit a tad too late, but at least some tried.
Whoa.
Admiral! We have a Nazi in our White House! What should we do?
... More protesters appeared to be out than on Monday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and her husband were seen in the crowd around 6:30 p.m., the same time federal forces had started using flash-bang grenades, pepper balls and physical force to clear the streets Monday....
PINO has whined about the social distancing rules:
... Academy officials have indicated that this year’s ceremony “will look different from recent graduation ceremonies because of current social health force protection measures.”
Trump, who infamously used his first commencement speech as president at the evangelical Liberty University to brag about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, has already suggested he won’t be a fan of “the look.”
“Do I like the look? No, I don’t,” the president said in April. “Eventually, next year, they’ll have a commencement which will be like it’s been, nice and tight.”
PINO has whined about the social distancing rules:
... Academy officials have indicated that this year’s ceremony “will look different from recent graduation ceremonies because of current social health force protection measures.”
Trump, who infamously used his first commencement speech as president at the evangelical Liberty University to brag about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, has already suggested he won’t be a fan of “the look.”
“Do I like the look? No, I don’t,” the president said in April. “Eventually, next year, they’ll have a commencement which will be like it’s been, nice and tight.”
I suspect that strict discipline will be maintained, but it gets a little more interesting given all of the recent military defections:
... With their hold on the Senate to be decided in an election five months away, Republicans will need the votes of suburban and independent voters if they hope to retain seats in states such as Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and Maine. In a sign of how lawmakers view the political landscape, moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning districts emphatically rejected Trump’s response to the protests in Washington, suggesting that they see little sympathy for the president’s approach among their constituents....
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (sort of)
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (sort of)
Rep. Will Hurd of Texas
Yeah, more of the ol' "disgruntled employee" bit. Don't they ever wonder why being disgruntled makes their story any less true? Or if they are disgruntled, why are they? And did the employer hire them disgruntled or make them disgruntled? Do only gruntled employees get to criticize?
... With their hold on the Senate to be decided in an election five months away, Republicans will need the votes of suburban and independent voters if they hope to retain seats in states such as Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and Maine. In a sign of how lawmakers view the political landscape, moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning districts emphatically rejected Trump’s response to the protests in Washington, suggesting that they see little sympathy for the president’s approach among their constituents....
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (sort of)
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (sort of)
Rep. Will Hurd of Texas
they will each and every one line up behind trump
Trump: “We had the safest border in the history of our country - or at least recorded history. I guess maybe a thousand years ago it was even better.”
... With their hold on the Senate to be decided in an election five months away, Republicans will need the votes of suburban and independent voters if they hope to retain seats in states such as Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and Maine. In a sign of how lawmakers view the political landscape, moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning districts emphatically rejected Trump’s response to the protests in Washington, suggesting that they see little sympathy for the president’s approach among their constituents....
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (sort of)
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (sort of)
Rep. Will Hurd of Texas
... With their hold on the Senate to be decided in an election five months away, Republicans will need the votes of suburban and independent voters if they hope to retain seats in states such as Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and Maine. In a sign of how lawmakers view the political landscape, moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning districts emphatically rejected Trump’s response to the protests in Washington, suggesting that they see little sympathy for the president’s approach among their constituents....
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (sort of)
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (sort of)
Rep. Will Hurd of Texas
they will each and every one line up behind trump
For the moment they are choosing to hang together, as the election nears and they are in danger of hanging separately methinks the rats will start jumping off the ship.
Eamus Catuli~AC 000000000101010202020303010304 020405....Ahhhh, forget it, it's gonna be a while.
