Defense secretary threatens to 'walk' unless Trump axes fanatic loyalist, source says

[fleur-de-lisa]

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/they-blinked-defense-secretary-threatens-to-walk-unless-trump-axes-fanatic-loyalist-source-says/

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis reportedly told the White House he would resign unless a Trump campaign loyalist was removed from her job.

DefenseNews reported on Wednesday that supporters of Mattis were expecting the White House to reassign Mira Ricardel from her job at the Office of Presidential Personnel.

According to the report, Ricardel is a former member of Trump’s campaign who is seen as “a loyal soldier who is looking out for the interests of the President.”

Sources told DefenseNews that Ricardel was “a roadblock for nominees,” making it difficult for Mattis to fill top-level positions at the Pentagon.

[gibraltar72]

1. Well I'll

be damned.

[NewRedDawn]

2. Put your money where your mouth is General.

Do the honorable thing "Bull Dog" and rid yourself of this traitorous regime.

[msanthrope]

4. His callsign is "Chaos." Not accidentally. nt

[janterry]

3. Go Mattis

I've been waiting for some push back from the Military. I can't imagine how hard it must be for them to endure Trumps moth-to-flame decision making approach. Mattis understands the benefits of process and bureaucracy. (Not to mention veracity - ).

If there was going to be push back, I was hoping it would come from the military.

[calimary]

9. Welcome to DU, janterry!

Perhaps this is one general who's smarter than trump?

Because, after all, didn't trump tell us all that he was smarter than all the generals?

[Ezior]

5. If Mattis 'walks'...

... Germany will probably crap its pants.

I remember Defense Minister von der Leyen telling us not to worry about NATO, since Mattis will make sure we're protected.

[calimary]

25. Welcome to DU, Ezior!

Interesting to consider the conflicting feelings that Mattis may be feeling.

Perhaps on the one hand he believes it's his patriotic duty to try to be a voice of sanity - the one single individual trying hard to steer the ship straight and sober when he knows the ship's captain is falling down drunk,
OR
Perhaps on the other hand he's now wrestling with getting out now, while his reputation remains intact. We have heard reports about the difficulties this White House is having - in finding good hires. They have to staff up and they're having difficulty. In the reports I've seen, the good people they seem to want don't want them. The good people they seem to want are concerned that joining up will damage their reputations and/or their careers. The good people don't want to get any of this mess on themselves. Which is totally logical AND understandable!

[JustAnotherGen]

29. I hope he stays

And I'm betting he thinks Trump is insane.

[Brother Buzz]

6. This is a big fucking deal

[Leghorn21]

28. That's a big 10-4, Brother! And there's also McMaster "issues" going down as well:

President Trump has reportedly overturned a personnel decision made by his national security adviser at the behest of Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner. National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster had informed Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the National Security Council’s senior director for intelligence programs, that he’d be moving to another position on Friday, Politico reported.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/03/14/report-trump-overrules-mcmaster-on-nsc-aide-s-ouster.html

[IronLionZion]

7. General Mattis is the only sensible one in power

I bet it must be frustrating. Dealing with Trump's BS is probably worse than any foreign enemy.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. The shitgibbon is a foreign enemy. nt

[58Sunliner]

10. She was part of Bush admin, then 8 years at Boeing.

She briefly worked for a consulting group and then signed on with Turd campaign.

[Hekate]

11. This country used to spit on the idea of political handlers, minders, and commissars...

Then we got TrumpPutin

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

12. At least one reight wing assclown is turning on "Mad Dog" over this flunkie:

http://www.conservativehq.com/node/25262

[Hamlette]

13. we need more of this! n/t

[DK504]

14. Can someone please explain this to me.

How can this person stop Mattis from putting the people HE wants? WTF?

Seriously tell me how this happens?

[SharonAnn]

15. She has a direct link to Bannon? Oh, I mean Trump.

[iluvtennis]

19. Agree. Mattis should have autonomy to be able to staff his team with whoever he wants...

...DUmpty hired him for his expertise and credentials...let Mattis use them. Trump is one of those "micro managers" that many of us have worked for that makes our jobs unbearable. I cannot and will not work for a micro manager. I expect my management to layout "what the goal is/what they want done", but after that they need to get out of the way and let me determine "how to get it done". Dumpty is no successful business man. He made his money by inheriting it from his father and then cheating, lying, corruption after that.

[not fooled]

22. Oh, yes

There was ample information out there before the election--from the guy who co-wrote Art of the Deal, David Cay Johnston's bio of dump, longtime NY journalists, etc.--documenting that dump is incompetent and can't run his own co., let alone the presidency.

The idiots who voted for him believed what they saw of him playing a character on teevee. Morons.

[MountainFool]

16. not good news if he walks

He's the only person standing between Trump and a random nuke launch at real or imaginary foes. While the President can fire the Secretary of Defense and replace him with an idiot, right now Mattis is a moderately sane person standing between us and WWIII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Command_Authority

[90-percent]

17. If Mattis goes

Benedict Donald will have to get an age waiver to nominate Barron?

I enjoy some Generals getting shot down by the psycho in chief.

Not really. It's just nice to have somebody qualified for their key position for once.

That's also not a G/S billionaire alum, FOR ONCE.

-90% Jimmy

[The Sand Reckoner]

18. How freaking many people does Trump have to con

before they start getting it, for cripes sake? Did Mattis really think his job would be anything but a sham and a shitstorm? If he did, he's not smart enough for it.

[LP2K12]

21. ...

I believe he saw the impending shit storm and went in knowingly. His oath is against enemies both foreign and domestic. I have zero doubt he'd tear Don's world apart.

[The Sand Reckoner]

24. The fact remains that this "enemy"

is his military superior, and he is subject to his orders. Not sure what he expected to accomplish.

[dalton99a]

20. Mattis won't last long

[MontanaMama]

23. This is a good sign.

BLOTUS probably has his panties in a wad over it too. He loves rubbing elbows with "Mad Dog" Mattis. Somebody on DU said not long after the General was appointed that he wouldn't tolerate 45's shit for very long. Looks like that prediction is right on.

Let's hope for a domino effect and wait for the Spicey 'splaining to start.

[bleedingulcers]

26. It would be a good sign,

but at the same time, it would be worrying because Mattis is so competent; he seems like one of the people that we'd be grateful to have in a position of authority because he seems to be sane and measured in his actions.

My worry would be who would be chosen as his replacement...

[Thomas Hurt]

27. General Mattis...

knows a political officer/apparatchik when he sees one.

[keithbvadu2]

30. Trump has a standby in place...... Ben Carson of the free scholarship to West Point