Trump to Meet Petraeus as Secretary of State Fight Continues

[DonViejo]

Source: Bloomberg

November 28, 2016 — 9:29 AM EST Updated on November 28, 2016 — 11:58 AM EST

President-elect Donald Trump is considering retired General David Petraeus to be secretary of state and plans to meet with the former CIA director Monday in New York, according to a senior official with the transition.

The celebrated four-star general, who left government under a cloud for sharing classified documents during an extramarital affair, is sitting down with the president-elect amid infighting among Trump’s advisers about who to pick for the post. The possibility that Trump might instead tap former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is scheduled to meet with the president-elect again Tuesday, has fueled an extraordinary public lobbying campaign against him.

Kellyanne Conway, who managed Trump’s campaign and is now a senior adviser to his transition, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that she is “just astonished at the breathtaking volume and intensity of blowback that I see” against the possibility of Romney serving as the nation’s top diplomat.

“In the last four years, I mean, has he been around the globe doing something on behalf of the U.S. of which we’re unaware? Did he go and intervene in Syria where they’re having a massive humanitarian crisis?” she asked on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Has he been helpful to Mr. Netanyahu?” she asked, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-11-28/trump-to-meet-with-petraeus-as-contender-for-secretary-of-state

[Xipe Totec]

1. Isn't Petraeus like, banned from having a secret clearance?

Seeing as he passed secrets to a foreign government?

[jmowreader]

4. I thought he passed secrets to his cleared girlfriend outside of a SCIF

This is a weird development, folks. Up until now all the Pussygrabber in Chief's appointments and prospects seem to have been chosen based on how badly they'll piss Democrats off. David Petraeus actually understands what he'd be doing in the job Trump wants him for, which is more than you can say about anyone else he's picked.

[Sunlei]

30. let his 'girlfriend' 'author' go through his stuff to write a book about him. trump will love him &

maybe want to meet the 'author-girlfriend' for a little personal fun too!

[saltpoint]

2. "Yeah, so ok, Dave, thanks for coming

in. It's down to just four candidates now -- you, Romney, Crazy Rudy, and that loud-mouthed racist woman in Chicago.

"My staff is on my case to pick more gals for my team, so at the moment I'm leaning toward the loud-mouthed racist woman in Chicago.

"But hey, thanks for coming by anyhow. Here -- take a Make America Great Again cap for the trip home."

-----

[PatSeg]

7. That is surreal!

Yet somehow not surprising. I have to say I've known people like her, but not quite that expressive.

[saltpoint]

8. The woman in the Michael's store? Yes. She

pulls out all the stops.

Just a sparkling performance of citizenship for the holiday season!

[PatSeg]

10. It was disturbing to watch

I've worked in retail and restaurants and I've known customers like that, but she surpassed anyone I've dealt with. She appears to be sober as well. She even picked on the woman's small child who was video taping her.

It was like a train wreck, I felt compelled to watch until the very end, mostly in disbelief. Guess that reflects the way I've felt like Trump this past year.

Hey, how are you doing? Just noticed who I am talking to.

[saltpoint]

11. Hey PatSeg, and a bigly

hello to ya!

I hear you on the retail environment. This Chicago woman is way over the line in her treatment of the store's employees. Agree -- she appears to be sober.

I'm thinking she may need to sit down for a spell and re-think what the spirit of the holidays actually involves.

[PatSeg]

12. Apparently she thinks

the holidays and every human being revolves around her and her needs.

I've seen customers do that when they were trying to rip me off or trying to scam me, but she sincerely seems to have just been throwing a wild and abusive tantrum. Somehow, the wrong a person is, the more they double down as they realize they are out of line.

Bush gave us "misunderestimate" and now Trump has given us "bigly"! It is so nice that they leave us these legacies to remember them by.

[saltpoint]

15. : ) They leave quite a trail. I hope

there are principled challenges to Trump within the GOP in the coming years, because he is not even really acceptable to old establishmentarian Republicans like Dick Lugar. Lugar was always too conservative for me, but he was at least a grown up and he actually knew what he was talking about on foreign policy. Nobody Trump is considering for SOS is anywhere near Lugar's league.

So somebody has to rise to the occasion besides us blue voters.

[PatSeg]

17. Absolutely

It can't just come from the left. I keep hoping there is some integrity left in the republican party. If there is, it could start a mending process where maybe compromise might be possible. I'm not holding my breath, but a mutual threat can bring opponents together. Meanwhile, the republican party has been taken over by so many self-absorbed grifters who will attach themselves to anyone they perceive as a winner.

Jeff Flake thus far is looking like an old school republican. Hopefully, he won't cave. Lindsay Graham as surprised me as well and who knew the guy could be funny?

[saltpoint]

18. Agree on Flake. There are beams of light

coming through the ceiling slats with Flake. Also, at times, with Graham.

Of course then we get to the rest of the list. And it looks pretty discouraging, bordering on macabre.

Let's agree not to discuss this era of our history with Madison and Jefferson.

[PatSeg]

22. I have been disappointed in some

who I thought were fairly reasonable, but in the end they put their own career and personal interests ahead of their country and in this case the world as well. Is there truly no line that these people won't cross? Their party has devolved so dramatically in recent years, though I'm sure it started decades ago. The decline has just accelerated with the Tea Part and the Freedom Caucus.

[saltpoint]

23. Yes. The Baggers are against public

education, public health, public housing, and public transportation.

We have long held that those forces strengthen people's citizenship and participation in their communities (and in their democracy generally).

And then I go, "O hell, that's exactly why the GOP far-right opposes all those things." A disconnected and apathetic and disengaged citizenry works right into their hands. FOX News is on 24/7 to drive home the propaganda.

Trump just came along and manipulated the stage to his benefit.

Tough times ahead. And it's really hard to have any respect for the Cabinet that's forming before our very eyes.

[PatSeg]

24. It feels like I am watching

some futuristic sci-fi movie where the corporate overlords keep the populace occupied and distracted with computers and reality TV, while educating them to conform and behave. It did not happen overnight and yes, the stage was set for someone like Trump. If it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else.

Tough times ahead for sure. I want to be optimistic, but it is really hard.

[saltpoint]

25. PatSeg, we'll try to hold the fort, and

hope that Trump's cluelessness will be his undoing.

The FBI man "Deep Throat" arranged to put a couple of Washington POST reporters on the trail that would undo Nixon. No small thing.

Maybe another figure will meet other reporters in a foggy parking garage to spill the beans on Trump's foreign investments.

[PatSeg]

28. I will comfort myself with

that possibility. I'd like to think that there are people right now working to undermine Trump and his dangerous sidekick Pence, people who have access to resources that we don't.

Meanwhile, I'm getting older and I'm not sure if I'll see another presidential election (if there is one, ha, ha). Sure not the world I wanted to leave my grandchildren.

[saltpoint]

29. Hear, hear. eom

[WheelWalker]

26. Clearly an individual off her meds.

[PatSeg]

27. It would appear so

or possibly on the wrong medication. There are drugs that could cause a person to act out like that.

[BainsBane]

13. Why is it that they always hassle service workers?

Every one of these Trump nutjobs goes off on people just trying to do their job.

[saltpoint]

16. Good point. And true. The GOP base did

its share of squawking this year about how disenfranchised and forgotten they were, and how it made them suffer, while smug liberals looked down their noses at them.

This Trump voter in Chicago is treating the store's employees, not coincidentally black women, as shabbily as she can. In fact she calls them 'animals.'

Pretty disgusting, start to finish.

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. This is who will be empowered now in the new Trumpland

expect more of this.

Its important to make it clear to everyone that voted for Trump that they are endorsing every hateful, racist, sexist, bigoted thing he ranted about and this is the kind of attitude and atmosphere they have created.

[saltpoint]

21. Agree. This woman in Chicago may have

been an unstable kook prior to the election for all I know. But it does seem to me that she is using the Trump victory as an excuse for bigotry and tantrum conduct.

Most of us were not exactly angels in junior high / middle school, but my god, I doubt that many of us behaved the way this woman was behaving toward those two employees.

[PatSeg]

3. Kellyanne

Such a nasty woman!

[elmac]

5. Romney would be the smart pic

seems to have the right mentality for the job which would drive sniffles nuts. Sniffles wants to bully other countries so he can build more golf courses.

[7962]

9. If Romney is a part of the govt, I'd prefer the VA.

With the work he did with the messed up Olympics he may do a decent job of fixing the mess at the VA. MAybe work with Sen. Sanders & McCain on their idea to open local hospitals to vets

[BainsBane]

14. What about Bob Corker?

I thought he was being considered? He has more appropriate experience for the position.

[lark]

6. Crook hires crook, SSDD.

[Eugene]

19. State contender Petraeus knowingly leaked secrets to biographer, lied to FBI

Source: USA Today

State contender Petraeus knowingly leaked secrets to biographer, lied to FBI

Tom Vanden Brook , USA TODAY 3:56 p.m. EST November 28, 2016

WASHINGTON — Retired Army general David Petraeus, who stepped down as CIA chief amid the scandal of an extramarital affair and pleaded guilty to divulging classified information, has emerged as a top contender as secretary of State in the incoming Trump administration.

Petraeus’ fall from grace was swift but not complete. He resigned immediately from the CIA in November 2012 after the affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell became known. The most famous military leader of his generation, Petraeus remained in limbo, under FBI investigation and generally avoiding public life, until March 2015 when he accepted a plea agreement in which he admitted to spilling a massive amount of sensitive information to Broadwell and lying to FBI agents about it.

Since then, Petraeus has gradually crept back into view, authoring a number of op-ed pieces for major newspapers, including USA TODAY, and working for a venture capital firm. Last week, he told the BBC that he would serve in Donald Trump’s administration if asked.

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All of his success, however, comes with the major caveat of the plea agreement he struck with the Justice Department. It contains echoes of the controversy that surrounded the failed presidential bid of Hillary Clinton, who maintained a private email server when she served as secretary of State. However, in Clinton’s case, FBI Director James Comey found no cause to prosecute her for careless handling of classified information.

Petraeus wasn’t sloppy with classified information. He purposely gave it away to his lover and biographer and sought to cover that up by lying to federal investigators, according to the plea deal. The FBI investigation gained steam in the spring of 2013. USA TODAY was first to report that FBI agents interviewed Petraeus at his Arlington, Va. home.

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Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/28/state-contender-petraeus-knowingly-leaked-secrets-biographer-lied-fbi/94547624/