Tillerson leaves South Korea event early due to "fatigue," but U.S. media isn't there to report

[DonViejo]

Source: Salon



FRIDAY, MAR 17, 2017 12:54 PM EDT

Tillerson leaves South Korea event early due to “fatigue,” but U.S. media isn’t there to report

The one U.S. reporter in South Korea, from IJR, hasn't filed a report; that site retracted its Thursday Obama story

TAYLOR LINK

South Korean media reported on Friday that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson skipped out on gathering with his Korean counterparts due to “fatigue.” But the only American news outlet aboard Tillerson’s first diplomatic mission did not report on the development, further ramping up scrutiny of the State Department’s decision to leave the U.S. media virtually in the dark.

Erin McPike, a journalist from the conservative-leaning website Independent Journal Review, was the only reporter invited on Tillerson’s trip to Asia — an exceedingly unusual development. According to IJR founder Alex Skatell, McPike received the highly coveted spot because of her “tenacious, detailed brand of reporting.” McPike, however, is not functioning as a pool reporter during the trip and will not provide daily insights into Tillerson’s trip. Instead, she’s reportedly accompanying the secretary of state for an upcoming profile of Tillerson.

“There is an elevated concern in the Japanese media about that level of control” that Trump is trying to exert on the U.S. news media, Tamaki Tsukada, spokesman for the Japanese Embassy in Washington, told The Washington Post this week.

IJR did find it necessary to cover former President Barack Obama’s trip to Hawaii this week, however, publishing a story titled “Ex-President Obama Made ‘Surprise Visit’ to Hawaii, Just Days Before Judge Issued Travel Ban Ruling.” The publication suggested Obama’s visit to Hawaii was related to a judge’s decision to halt Trump’s executive order barring individuals from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. The story also noted that the judge was Obama’s classmate at Harvard University and that the former president ate a restaurant near the judge’s federal courthouse.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/03/17/tillersons-leaves-south-korea-early-due-to-fatigue-but-u-s-media-isnt-there-to-report/

[Squinch]

1. Reccing. However, WTF? Journalists don't go unless they're invited? What is that nonsense?

[No Vested Interest]

10. As far as I know, Andrea Mitchell is in Seoul, sending tweets from there as recently as

one hour ago.
As she tells it, since she and other media reps are not invited by Dept. of State, they make their own reservations on scheduled airlines and follow the Sec. of State as closely as they can.

She reports David Sanger of NY Times has also come to Seoul to report on the trip.

[Docreed2003]

24. My understanding was this...

There was a press pool following him, but at one point he only invited Fox News to follow him during the day.

[Squinch]

30. Because a good reporter waits to be invited. Otherwise it wouldn't be polite.

[Docreed2003]

34. Well from what I read...

The press pool follows the Sec of State by invitation only. I agree with your sentiment, but that seems to be what happened. The majority of the press pool was left behind for Fox to have exclusivity.

[Squinch]

35. I get it. It's still assinine.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Tired old Rex

could never keep up with John Kerry or Hillary Clinton

[yeoman6987]

6. I lived in Korea. The first week was horrible. The time change is no joke.

[C_U_L8R]

11. It's his job

Secretaries of State should be able to handle it. Besides he's got a pretty cushie ride.

[yeoman6987]

13. Oh absolutely

He never should have left no matter how tired he was. And for him to be so honest about why he left was dumb.

[Chemisse]

52. Which suggests to me that it was something more than being "tired." n/t

[karynnj]

32. True, but look at the many longer trips that Secretary Kerry took -- and look through the

pictures of him ALWAYS being photographed meeting the American ambassador and often, officials from the country as he deplaned. Not to mention, he included visits to the American embassies to thank the local staff for their work. Now consider that Tillerson is 64 -- Kerry was 69 when he started and 73 when he ended. Hillary was 61 - 65 years old.

Do you remember either leaving a foreign meeting due to being tired? I don't Kerry had the determiniation and persistance to remotely attend an anti ISIS meeting remotely from Massachusetts General the morning before his leg was operated on. Would Mr tired have participated in a meeting with a badly damaged leg?

[C_U_L8R]

39. Yup. These Trump goofballs are rank amateurs

[BumRushDaShow]

14. No sta-min-uhhhhhhh.

[Sunlei]

29. good point, SOS Hillary Clinton & John Kerry constantly traveled to other countries &didn't "leave"

SOS is a very hard job, very long hours, travel to many countries, hundreds of flights a year and it's only been a MONTH for Rex.

[bronxiteforever]

40. +1000

[Hortensis]

47. Tillerson: Nuclear weapons against NK are "on the table."

I wouldn't get too carried away with this health/low-energy theme being pushed by left-wing propagandist Palmer Report.

Likely not true, but in any case extremely misleading and off point. Tillerson is a very high achiever who's repeatedly demonstrated contempt for the people's right to know what he's up to, or what adventuring the U.S. is embarking on. We'll be notified when more soldiers are needed.

A Korean newspaper is the original source for the "fatigue" story, btw. And even if they accurately reported his staff's statement, that doesn't mean that heading for bed is what this heavy-stepping amateur was up to. As of yesterday no one in our press (which is to say us), except for that one favored right-winger, knew if our SoS left early for China early or what.

[C_U_L8R]

48. In the meantime, we're having fun at his expense

He picked a pretty lame cover story... then denied it.
Naturally he's up to no good. And he sucks as an SoS.

[mitch96]

55. Tired old Rex

Poor guy can't keep it up.... I guess he needs some speed or viagra..
m

[Ilsa]

3. I don't think Hillary Clinton ever skipped an event overseas due to fatigue.

What a snowflake this guy is compared to Sec. Clinton.

[thesquanderer]

8. This "fatigue" could be like going to the nurse's office when you're not prepared for a class. (n/t)

[iluvtennis]

17. You nailed it

[Sunlei]

27. Not prepared & setting up an 'excuse' to resign for 'health reasons'.

[wendyb]

41. Hillary never missed a meeting due to fatigue..

Exactly...remember when Drumpf always mocked Hillary for looking tired..

[Tanuki]

4. Never fear, even though OUR media weren't there to report....

the North Korean army had it covered!

[iluvtennis]

19. LMBO

[Moostache]

5. Hmmm....stamina issues?

Who would have ever believed that....

Thought this was HUGE deal when Hillary was momentarily faint last fall....IOIYAAR as always...

Diplomatic crisis on the Korean peninsula and we have no one there? Fuck the entire GOP, raw.

[ffr]

28. First thought that popped into my head too. Wait, what? Where's that stamina

tRump was boasting about. Don't they all have it?

Guess not. But like you said, IOIYAR. Just don't try the while you're a democrat.

[Tanuki]

7. I hope they didn't poison him with a lower dose of whatever they used to bump off

Kim Jung Un's half brother in Malaysia recently. That might cause enough fatigue to justify dereliction of duty.

[Achilleaze]

9. low-energy republican Comrade FAIL

deplorable

[Vinca]

12. This is the third time I've read of him leaving or not attending because of "fatigue."

I wonder if he's a drinker.

[SharonAnn]

43. Or if he has health problems.

[harun]

15. Governing is hard work, need to cut 1%r's some slack on this.

They aren't used to having to walk the walk.

[iluvtennis]

16. BUT Dumpty was always pouncing on Hillary about not having stamina. HYPOCRITES

[SunSeeker]

18. Tillerson just wants to finish the $1T Exxon oil deal with Putin and quit.

He obviously does not like nor has any interest in being Secretary of State. Not a peep from him when Trump slashed the State Department budget. He's leaving large swaths of the State Department's positions sitting empty. He just does not give a shit and finds it all so tiresome, having to put up this facade.

[ProudLib72]

23. Exactly what I was thinking

If it's not an oil deal, then it bores him.

[dalton99a]

25. +1

[Corgigal]

33. Thinking along the same lines.

Either he has some heart disease or he doesn't give a flip about what he's currently doing. So it's either above, my quess or he's pretty I'll. The later, they will never tell us that information.

[ck4829]

20. Tends to happen when you're in a country that can be on the business end of a nuclear strike

[spiderpig]

21. Fatigue? Fatigue???

I'll tell him about fatigue.

40 years of 80 hour weeks. And 3 hour commutes (not in a private limo).

These people will never have a clue.

[Greg K]

22. Low energy! Sad!

[Sunlei]

26. hey,Republicans enough parties, vacations,"gatherings" with your "counterparts". USA can't afford.

lol “fatigue” , he had the strength to lobby hard for Russian oil drilling(/snicker) & be on Republicans "letter from Generals" prop they sent to t(R)ump campaign.

[MedusaX]

31. T-Rexxon is probably tired of 45 jerking his chain

Yesterday's headline was:

Tillerson Tells North Korea It Has Nothing to Fear From U.S.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-17/tillerson-doesn-t-rule-out-preemptive-strike-against-north-korea

Basically the hostage negotiator's equivalent of "just step away from the nuclear program" so we can talk about your needs... can I send in a pizza or anything?


Less than 24 hours later:
Tillerson Doesn't Rule Out Preemptive Strike on North Korea

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-17/tillerson-doesn-t-rule-out-preemptive-strike-against-north-korea


Sounds like somebody back at the WH did not like T-Rexxon's approach.... and told him in no uncertain terms that he had better march himself in front of a microphone and tell everybody that NK better just get rid of all those Nukes right this minute or else big bad Donnie is gonna go all pre-emptive strike on KJ's little dick-tater-ship....


I would sneak out the side door too if the alternative meant I would have to smile and answer questions about a policy position I do not agree with ....

F*ck that....

[still_one]

36. Fatigue? The media distort when Hillary had an incident with walking pneumonia, but

the current SOS is "fatigued", and hardly a peep from them, and really very little was said when he decided to censor the press from his trip

just amazing

[LenaBaby61]

46. Fatigue? The media distort when Hillary had an incident with walking pneumonia...

They sure did times 1,000.

This current SOS (Secretary of Secrecy) is basically a billionaire banker parading as SOS. Nothing more than that, as he hasn't the credentials to be a REAL SOS.

My God, this ruskie installed administration is already EASILY the most corrupt, sleazy, money-grubbing administration EVER in history. But then again, tRumputin et al were installed with help from putin and his minions to destabilize, deconstruct and bring our democratic style of government more in line with that filthy Kleptocracy over in ruskieville outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

[ck4829]

50. +1

[KewlKat]

37. Don't suppose Pootie's plane is in town? Maybe he had to cut out to meet some

ruskies?

Don't trust this ba$tard after he excludes the media on his trips or even in the WH.

[Eugene]

38. US denies that Rex Tillerson was too tired to attend South Korea meetings

Source: The Guardian

US denies that Rex Tillerson was too tired to attend South Korea meetings

• South Korean media say secretary of state pulled out because of ‘fatigue’
• State department says no joint meal had been scheduled with local officials

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday 17 March 2017 22.32 GMT

The state department has denied a report that Rex Tillerson pulled out of meetings with South Korean officials because of “fatigue”.

A report on the Korea Herald news site said that the US secretary of state had “shortened diplomatic consultations and public events in Seoul” and chosen not to have a meal with Hwang Kyo-ahn, the South Korean acting president, and Yun Byung-se, the country’s foreign minister.

The report compared unfavourably Tillerson’s visit to South Korea with his meetings with Japanese officials, with whom he dined in Tokyo on the previous stop of a three-leg Asian trip.

The state department said the report that Tillerson had been too tired to hold extended meetings was untrue, adding that no joint meal had been scheduled on the Seoul leg of the trip.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/17/rex-tillerson-south-korea-fatigue-denial

[bronxiteforever]

42. There is no fatigue as Secretary of State or crying in baseball

Man up Tilly

[Thor_MN]

44. Poor little snowflake likes to talk a tough game though can't back it up.

[sarcasmo]

45. Rexxon. One more inept fool hired by Dolt45.

[ck4829]

49. What a joke, from both him and the media.

[dchill]

51. Tired-rannosaurus Rex.

A sleepy raptor.

[Hoyt]

53. They were better off without him. He acts, talks, looks like anything but a SoS.

[Blue Idaho]

54. So Hillary Clinton is Superwoman compared to this snowflake.

Nap, nap, nap, that's all that Tillerson seems to do. It speaks volumes about the "grueling" job of a major oil company executive. Meanwhile HRC endlessly circled the globe challenging world leaders on human rights issues and going toe to toe against tyrannical governments.

Rex is a weakling.