Trump Staff Picks, Co-Conspirators and the Revolving Door of Departures

[gsdx]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ Someone knew how to spell 'sight' but not 'loiterers' or 'shot'.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Meanwhile back at the partially-filled swamp:

Price traveled by private plane at least 24 times
HHS secretary chartered flights even to cities with frequent, inexpensive commercial options.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has taken at least 24 flights on private charter planes at taxpayers’ expense since early May, according to people with knowledge of his travel plans and a review of HHS documents.

The frequency of the trips underscores how private travel has become the norm — rather than the exception — for the Georgia Republican during his tenure atop the federal health agency, which began in February. The cost of the trips identified by POLITICO exceeds $300,000, according to a review of federal contracts and similar trip itineraries.

EPA inspector general investigating Pruitt's travel to home state

In late July, the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project said travel records from a Freedom of Information Act request show that Pruitt spent 48 of 92 days in March, April and May traveling -- including 43 days on trips that included stops in his home state of Oklahoma.

Pruitt's travel records show the airfare for these trips cost taxpayers more than $12,000. Most of the travel was to and from the administrator's home state.

Rumor has it that Scott Pruitt is gearing up for a run for governor of Oklahoma and is traveling to Oklahoma at taxpayer expense to lay the groundwork for his campaign.

 

[Sausy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Nothing more infuriating than holier than thou fiscal "conservatives" who routinely would complain about government waste and the willingness of public officials to charge as much to the taxpayers as possible who when they get their turn to demonstrate how a public servant should behave, go right out and do the very thing they were so hell bent on ripping to the high heavens on the public record. In Price's case, not surprising but pretty damn galling.

Pruitt's of course one of the many agency heads Trump put in charge with a record of outright hostility or contentiousness with the mission of the agency. Mixing personal concerns with official government business is of course a no no... if Pruitt is indeed thinking of a gubernatorial run in Oklahoma, another infuriating move here. Has absolutely no respect for his public mission, but if he can use his position to help jumpstart his campaign for public office and use some agency funds to help lay the foundations of that campaign...well of course that's what people like this do. They make it all about trying to maximize their power and position above everything. Trump hasn't drained the swamp... he's expanding it and bringing in the alligators to defend it.

 

[gsdx]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ I think it's hilarious that Trump was (and still is) praised as a hero for not wanting his salary and donating it to various government entities yet nobody is condemning him for being a leech who is literally stealing millions upon millions of taxpayers' money. (I read somewhere that it's up around $300 million now.

Hell, I'd turn down a $100,000 quarterly salary for $300,000,000.

Some hero, but only to those who refuse to open their eyes. But they will seen soon enough when their wallets are empty.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Nothing more infuriating than holier than thou fiscal "conservatives" who routinely would complain about government waste... In Price's case, not surprising but pretty damn galling.

Usually, it takes them a few years to get tone-deaf to their own abuses. Price started immediately once he got through the nomination process (in spite of the knowledge that he traded healthcare stocks for a profit while he was chair of the committee overseeing healthcare industry).

Here's Price in 2009 going on and on about Congressional travel costs and private planes:

... nobody is condemning him for being a leech who is literally stealing millions upon millions of taxpayers' money.

There's the travel costs of Trump and the Trump family security costs which is millions each month.

There's also the fact that a portion of the Trump family's legal fees for the Russian investigation is being covered by the Republican National Convention and campaign donations and by sales of campaign promotional items (like those MAGA hats). When those people in the audience wearing the red ball caps bought those campaign items, did they know they were funding the Trump family's legal fees?

And then there's the matter of whatever happened to the money that Trump collected that he said he was going to donate to veterans? Or the $107 million that was donated by wealthy donors to fund the Trump inauguration events? Where is all the money?

 

[Sausy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

I read Price now says he will hold off further use of public funds for travel on private planes while his specific examples of usage are examined... how very nice of him to offer to do so once the cows are long gone from the barn. And yes, I knew about his truly scandalous insider trading while overseeing the Congressional committee tasked with being the watchdog of the health care industry. Like a number of Trump appointees who made it through with the barest of margins, it was virtually unanimous the GOP voting to confirm and the Dems voting in opposition... final tab here was 52 yes, 47 nay. It is on those 52 yes voters from the GOP side that the insider trading in particular was ignored. Imagine if Hillary Clinton had nominated someone so compromised, so with a conflict of interest? The GOP would have screamed to the high heavens... and NEVER let go. As someone here clearly not among her fans, I still cannot and will not tolerate Republican hypocrisy which reeks here something awful.

Trump and so much of those in his Administration have taken the level of corruption to the highest levels since Warren Harding. Trump won't take a salary but as gsdx and Kara Balut point out leeching so much money elsewhere it makes no difference ... the whole Trump administration is a living, breathing conflict of interest. And each day every little new detail keeps making evident just how morally and credibly bankrupt and rotten it truly is.

 

[rareboy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

It is Friday afternoon.

Time once again for the long knives.

Tom Price is out.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/tom-pr...s-from-the-white-house?source=TDB&via=FB_Page

I suspect it is more about his failure to totally demolish Obamacare as racking up one million dollars in flights on private planes.

Given that it is Trump who is his 'boss'....the irony about racking up millions of dollars of unnecessary travel costs just burns.

 

[rareboy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

update.

 

[gsdx]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

It is Friday afternoon.

Time once again for the long knives.

Tom Price is out.

I was just reading about him. Apparently, Trump was also pissed off that Price was getting his name in the headlines more than The Donald was, and the fact that Price was costing Americans hundreds of thousands of dollars in air travel when on official government business.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/price-says-apos-reimbursing-costs-124216780.html

Does anyone else see the hilarious irony and hypocrisy in this?

 

[kallipolis]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Tom Price is out.

The price of luxury travel has been fully rewarded.

- - - Updated - - -

I was just reading about him. Apparently, Trump was also pissed off that Price was getting his name in the headlines more than The Donald was, and the fact that Price was costing Americans hundreds of thousands of dollars in air travel when on official government business.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/price-says-apos-reimbursing-costs-124216780.html

Does anyone else see the hilarious irony and hypocrisy in this?

That we do, does not mean that Trump does.

 

[gsdx]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

That we do, does not mean that Trump does.

Of course he doesn't. Three million dollar paid golf weekends is one of the perks of being president.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

update.

I have the terrible urge to print that and use it for target practice......

 

[rareboy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Just a bit of a wrap-up.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Kellywise:

Outside the US:
https://www.youpak.com/watch?v=Hlt3rA-oDao

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Rep. Al Green, D-Tx: "You're the secretary of HUD!"
Ben Carson, HUD Secretary: "I don't want to open the book and look at the number"

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Omarosa to leave White House

White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former contestant on "The Apprentice," plans to leave the White House next month, according to a statement from press secretary Sarah Sanders.
Manigault Newman, one of Trump's most high-profile African-American supporters, will leave one year to the day after Trump took office, Sanders said.
"Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities," Sanders said. "Her departure will not be effective until January 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service."

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Making Federal Courts great again, Federal Court Judge nominee Matthew Spencer Petersen's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee:

 

[rareboy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ Cringeworthy.

But so typical of TrumpCo. appointments to every position.

 

[gsdx]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ Well, it appears that he's just as qualified to be a Federal Court Judge as Trump is qualified to be President of the United States.

Two questions though:

1 - How in hell did he get 'honourable' in front of his name?
2 - Am I the only one who thinks he was blowing Trump to get the nomination?

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Somebody wake me when he appoints a person of color or LGBT.