h/t Instapundit
President Trump should promote Michael Griffin, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, to the top job at the Pentagon. Outgoing SecDef James Mattis is a deservedly honored soldier and an American patriot, but he was not necessarily the best man for the job. Mattis is a light infantry commander, and there are very few opportunities today for light infantry to solve America's strategic problems. The overriding strategic risk to the United States is the loss of our technological edge, and the Defense Department needs a leader with the vision and expertise to restore it. Michael Griffin would be an excellent choice. A first-rate physicist, Dr. Griffin headed NASA under the Bush 41 administration.
#1
This is the sort of suggestion that makes me want to examine my beliefs and disavow anything that accidentally coincides with what Spengler has preached in the past. Griffin was just another do-nothing bureaucrat who sacrificed the space program's future on the altar of gigantic expensive expendable rockets with massive segmented solid rockets as the first stage to make sure they'll have massive costs and massive unreliability. We needed a real RLV program and not a Shuttle Stack Part Deux.
#2
Elon Musk has triumphed by building an RLV in the dumbest way possible, and just as in the country of the blind, the one eyed man is king, in the country of the American Mandarin Class, the microdosing high-functioning bipolar con-artist is the only guy able to get things done.
Maybe we should make _HIM_ Secretary of Defense, because the American public wants to push the two con jobs that we're still a powerful country and we care about freedom...
#4
Rand Simberg's take (Transterrestial Musing): OK, if Mike Griffin were SecDef, just what would he do, going on past performance? Would he propose a giant expendable combat aircraft, based on parts from F-15s and F-16s, that would fly once a year, and each service could take a turn?
#5
Since Griffith has been SecDef, I don't think each year's version of the Big Expendable has flown _once_ despite getting some tens of billions worth of funding.
[Wash Times] Sen. Bob Corker is leaving office at the end of this term ‐ and, given his ongoing Twitter spat with President Donald Trump, taking a "sour grapes" award with him.
What’s happening?
Corker, never one to agree with Trump, has come out in disagreement once again, this time over the budget impasse that’s marked the building and funding of the border wall.
On Sunday, Corker took to national television to characterize the funding fight and subsequent government shutdown as a "made-up fight" ‐ as in something to occupy the White House’s time. That, despite the fact that Trump long-promised on the campaign trail to build a wall and to have Mexico pay for it.
But Corker said this, on "State of the Union" on CNN: "This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting, but even if he wins, our borders are going to be insecure."
And all the voters go: So why don’t you secure them, Bob?
Regardless ‐ he’s leaving office, having announced retirement in mid-2017.
After Corker’s public attack, Trump responded via Twitter.
"Senator Bob Corker just stated that, ’I’m so [privileged] to serve in the Senate for twelve years, and that’s what I told the people of our state that’s what I’d do, serve for two terms.’ But that is Not True ‐ wanted to run but poll numbers TANKED when I wouldn’t endorse him ...," Trump tweeted.
And then he followed it with another: "... Bob Corker was responsible for giving us the horrible Iran Nuclear Deal, which I ended, yet he badmouths me for wanting to bring our young people safely back home. Bob wanted to run and asked for my endorsement. I said NO and the game was over. #MAGA I LOVE TENNESSEE!"
Corker’s people dispute Trump’s account, of course. And Corker replied to Trump’s tweet with one of his own, that read, "Yes, just like Mexico is paying for the wall ... #AlertTheDaycareStaff."
[Breitbart] Monday on CNN’s "New Day," former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, also a CNN contributor, discussed potential "unintended consequences" of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
Host Erica Hill said, "As we have been reporting, CNN is reporting about so much being unknown at this point and the fact that the concern here is that perhaps the president doesn’t understand how complicated this is, and while a number of Americans support the move to pull troops back, just doing it on a whim could be dangerous."
Clapper said, "Exactly. I spent 13 years throughout my career in the Pentagon, and the Pentagon is an institution of planning and orderliness. There are all kinds of implications here when you withdraw, particularly doing it as we appear to be doing it in Syria, precipitously. There are all kinds of unintended consequences that will occur here, and it plays havoc in the Pentagon. The other thing, of course, is they are all on pins and needles thinking what is the next tweet we will get about deploying or withdrawing with not a lot of notice."
After video clips of Trump saying he knows more than U.S. military officers, Clapper said, "Appalling arrogance, you know, and him portraying himself as a genius and all that sort of thing. These things are complicated. He would do well to listen to his advisers. I would point out, by the way, ISIS is not defeated, not in Syria, and it’s a good thing to remember that ISIS is other places besides Syria, like Afghanistan, where they have a prominent presence there as well. I don’t think he knows more than the generals do."
#3
The Pentagon plans but does not make policy, that is for elected representatives. When is the last time you were elected, Mr. Clapper? FOAD
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/25/2018 6:43 Comments ||
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#4
Clapper said, "Exactly. I spent 13 years throughout my career as a male prostitute for Barney Franks."
Host Erica Hill said, "As we have been lying, CNN is randoming making up shit about so much being unknown about your brain damage AND sexuality Jim."
James Clapper, "of course, my wiener is on pins and needles. Have you tried these BBQ lead paint chips?"
#5
Clapper's hate for Trump and his overwhelming misunderstanding of the world we now live is consuming him... He needs someone to talk to, maybe franks is available..
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/25/2018 10:09 Comments ||
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#6
The wailing of sanctimonious ruling class felons is the Trump gift that keeps on giving, giving and giving. What a lovely Christmas present, Mr President.
#7
Well Jim, you've heard the saying "The definition of craziness is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result." Give the orange man a break.
#8
"Unintended Consequences", eh? Did all that happened under 8 years of Obama (Clapper's tenure as NID giving sage counsel) result in "Intended Consequences"?
[Breitbart] Monday on CNN’s "New Day,"a former Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman and network national security commentator Mike Rogers said the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis will leave a "mark" on President Donald Trump.
Rogers said, "I think this one is going to leave a mark on the president, for a whole host of reasons. If you read that Mattis letter, I think this is why Republicans are getting so concerned, it was more than just about Afghanistan or Syria. It was that for sure, I think that was the tipping point. If you look back, Mattis was the one who had to go to Japan and reassure our allies after kind of the giveaway to North Korea on troop discussions there and training exercises. He immediately left for Japan to try to fix that problem. Pulling out of the INF with the Russians and now the Russians running around, saying this is going to cause a nuclear problem, which could have been okay if there was a strategy to follow it. There wasn’t and Mattis was the one trying to put this all back together."
He continued, "Then abandoning our allies and alliances in Syria and Afghanistan was probably the last straw for General Mattis. Those Republicans in the national security space see this as a significant problem because, you know, listen, our safety and security is dependent on allies and allegiances around the in tough neighborhoods." Video also contains comments from Clinton lickspittle Gen (R) Wesley Clark.
Evidently he figures sufficient time has passed since Benghazi that he can now be heard in public again. My guess is Rogers thought Hillary Clinton's testimony was 'credible' as well. Could Mike and Kristi Rogers involvement been why the Clinton investigation went nowhere ?
[Townhall] Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) vetoed legislation Friday that would’ve banned abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat which is usually at around six weeks into a pregnancy.
Kasich identifies as pro-life but argued in his veto statement that the bill was likely unconstitutional and would result in a costly court battle for the state.
"As governor I have worked hard to strengthen Ohio’s protections for the sanctity of human life, and I have a deep respect for my fellow members of the pro-life community and their ongoing efforts in defense of unborn life," he said. "However, the central provision of Sub. H.B. 258, that an abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat has been detected in the unborn child, is contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States’ current rulings on abortion.
"The State of Ohio will be the losing party in that lawsuit and, as the losing party, the State of Ohio will be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover the legal fees for the pro-choice activists' lawyers," he said.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Wash Times] Sen. Bob Corker is leaving office at the end of this term ‐ and, given his ongoing Twitter spat with President Donald Trump, taking a "sour grapes" award with him.
[Breitbart] Monday on CNN’s "New Day,"a former Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman and network national security commentator Mike Rogers said the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis will leave a "mark" on President Donald Trump.
[Townhall] Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) vetoed legislation Friday that would’ve banned abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat which is usually at around six weeks into a pregnancy.
