AP Exclusive: Boy Scouts chief expected fiery Trump speech

[dalton99a]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP_BOY_SCOUTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-07-26-20-02-34

AP Exclusive: Boy Scouts chief expected fiery Trump speech
By DAVID CRARY

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Boy Scouts of America says it anticipated President Donald Trump would spark controversy with a politically tinged speech at its national jamboree in West Virginia but felt obliged to invite him out of respect for his office.

Boy Scouts president Randall Stephenson tells The Associated Press in his first public comments on the furor over Trump's speech he'd be "disingenuous" if he suggested he was surprised by the Republican president's comments. Stephenson also is chief executive officer of AT&T and spoke to the AP by phone on Wednesday.

Other U.S. presidents have addressed Boy Scouts jamborees with speeches steering clear of partisan politics.

Trump promoted his political agenda and assailed his enemies in his speech on Monday. He induced some scouts to boo at the mention of Barack Obama, his Democratic predecessor.

[regnaD kciN]

1. The same "chief" whose corporation...

...has a mega-merger pending before Trump's FTC?

He should resign or be ousted from his BSA post immediately. Maybe the administration can appoint him as head of their new Trump Youth organization.

[keithbvadu2]

7. mega-merger

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029374437

Using the BSA as a handy tool for his business interests.

[lpbk2713]

2. A feeble attempt at damage control.

I would have expected someone in his position to do better than that.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. They felt "obliged" to kiss Rump's rump, is what it boils down to. nt

[tymorial]

4. Not inviting the president would have been a political act

By an apolitical organization. This was a no win situation .

[Buns_of_Fire]

5. I admit, I see no way it could have turned out well, given who they were dealing with.

But the wimpish response from the BSA has probably made it worse. Even then, though, I don't know what could be said without it turning political in some way.

The absolute blame rests with the cretin who happened to show up, leaving a trail of slime wherever he goes. But we know that already.

On edit: Since they knew what to expect, it might have been an idea just to announce that the Jamboree wasn't going to have ANY speeches this year, to give more time to the purpose of the event...

[spooky3]

10. He had a third alternative, which was to extend an invitation

with a clear statement that the speech must be apolitical.

[tammywammy]

17. I don't think that would have mattered.

Trump does what he wants to do. He only has one playbook.

[spooky3]

19. It may not have, but there was no downside in doing it and

possibly Trump would have declined to speak.

The CEO should have made it crystal clear what was appropriate.

[rzemanfl]

8. I think he would kiss the boils on Drumpf's rump. It's $85 billion. n/t

[uponit7771]

6. WTF

[rockfordfile]

9. Randall Stephenson is a un-American right-wing pos.

AT&T? That says a lot about the pos.

[C_U_L8R]

11. BSA Chief ought to resign

Clearly his bad judgment has besmirched everything the BSA is supposed to stand for.
And Donald Trump... what an assclown.

[rockfordfile]

12. Randall Stephenson should be asked does he agree with Trump?

Trump is a fascist, bigot, and racist.

[CousinIT]

13. What a bunch of goddamned propaganda. Why does AP not report the ALL the FACTS?

The president of the Boy Scouts needs the Trump administration to approve his mega-merger

https://qz.com/1038359/boy-scouts-president-randall-stephenson-has-been-lobbying-donald-trump-to-approve-the-att-time-warner-merger/

[geek tragedy]

14. To hell with the BSA. Democrats should pull their kids out. nt

[UTUSN]

15. "out of respect for *HIS* office" - uh, it AIN'T *HIS*

[dalton99a]

16. The orange thing in the Oval Office is not a president - it is a Russian troll

[NastyRiffraff]

18. It's time we differentiate "respect for the office"

with "respect for the president." We can respect the office of the presidency and disrespect its current occupant.

Just as an aside, I've never fully understood the "respect for the office" concept. An office doesn't know or care about respect.